Key Saga 04 : Forest Folly
by Spencers13
Summary: Set in the third year of Endri & Kyle's partnership on Earth. In their search for Worm Gate Keys, they run into a little snag. Namely each other.
1. Chapter 1 : Anger

This is intended to run with the "Beetlejuice Afterlife" series of mine, which includes the stories : _A New Beginning_ and _Dark Shadows_.

The grouping this story belongs to is the "Key Saga", wherein there are several stories documenting some events that took place while my original characters, Kyle and Endri, were traveling Earth, looking for the Worm Gate Keys to take to the Neitherworld. This story and any other previous or subsequent stories in the Key Saga all are set before the events that occur in _BJA - A New Beginning_.

This story is set in the third year of Endri and Kyle's partnership on Earth. This is an important part of their story of finding the keys to open the six Worm Gates in the Neitherworld. It's a pivotal moment in their partnership when things take a drastic turn, and the two come out different in the end. It's what changed them to how they are seen in _BJA - A New Beginning_.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE (8-6-10):** My deepest apologies to those that have been reading this story for not updating in a long time. I am VERY picky about my writing, and when I read through this story and found pieces that I no longer wanted to have in it, I had to rewrite them. And that's what took me so long. So I hate to be annoying about it, but I did change some things in every chapter, whether they are noticeable to others or not. That is why I am re-uploading the first three chapters. My apologies again for taking so long, and I hope that you enjoy this story. Thank you for being patient!

Also, if you notice formatting errors, it is because FanFiction dot net is finicky about that, and I didn't nitpick it a lot this time.

— — —

—Key Saga—

Forest Folly

Spencers13 (Lacey G) © June 9, 2003–2005 / Revised 2006—Revised 2009-2010

PG-13 (Language, Violence) / Angst; Drama

"Goodbye Blue Sky" lyrics from the album "The Wall" © _Pink Floyd_ 1979 / "Alone I Break" lyrics from the album "Untouchables" © _KoRn_ 2002

TimeBase : Key Saga circa August, 1995; Episode 04

— — —

**Chapter One – Anger**

_Kssssh_—"_Endri…_"—_Ksh_

_Kssssh_—"_Endri._"—_Ksh_

_Kssssh_—"_Hey, Endri._"—_Ksh_

_Kssssh_—"_Endri, answer me, you jackass!_"—_Ksh_

A pale hand slowly reached down for the walkee-talkee lying in the grass. The hand took hold of the black communications device and lifted it to a set of full, pale lips.

_Ksh_—"I'm right here, Kyle," Endri sighed, not taking the slightest offense.

_Ksssh_—"_What the hell're you doin'? Takin' a dump?_" the unusually grouchy voice asked from the other end.

_Ksh_—"Ha-ha," the blonde retorted, deadpan.

_Ksssh_—"_Well, whatever you're doin', get your ass over to my coordinates. I'm gettin' close._"—_Ksh_

Endri took a moment to pull the walkee-talkee from his mouth and gaze at its sophisticated LED screen. There, was displayed the date and time of day, a power indicator, a reception meter, a battery meter, an electronic compass, and two sets of longitude and latitude coordinates. One set was the location of Endri's walkee-talkee, and the other was the location of his working partner, Kyle. Endri figured his white and grey-haired partner was about a quarter mile off to the left of his current position, high atop a cliff. He could take the long way around by walking down the backside of the high bluff, then rounding the entire thing, but that would take far too long. Another way was to climb down the rock face right below where he sat. It would be quicker, but would still take too long for his liking. So, there was only one solution left.

Standing, Endri gazed off into the distance over the treetops of the forest below. His eyes, as always, remained covered by a pair of dark sunglasses, but they didn't prevent him from seeing the vast beauty of the landscape. He took rare comfort from the view and soft breeze that played with his long, blonde hair and black, calf-length coat.

Inhaling deeply, the man reached his muscled arms to the sky and stretched to his fullest, tightening every sculpted muscle and sinew in his body to the limit. He exhaled and released the tension, then simply tipped over the edge of the cliff. His body fell like a stone, head first toward the rapidly approaching land below. Just before he hit, however, his momentum slowed, his body ceased its decent, and Endri swiveled in mid air to land perfectly on his feet.

The man wasted no time, did not even look back the way he had fallen, and simply headed off in his partner's direction.

A smirk plastered itself on his lips. Yes, being a ghost certainly had its advantages. It was just too bad he could never tell that to Kyle.

I I I I I

Kyle Bennington sat atop his 4-wheeler, arms crossed as he tapped an impatient, black boot against the foot rest. He checked his walkee-talkee again, seeing the numbers of the second set of coordinates change just slightly every other second.

With an irritated sigh, he plopped the device to the seat between his thighs and wrestled with his long coat, trying to take it off. It was turning out to be rather warm that day, sharply contrasting such a cool morning that was barely even over. Managing to remove the thin, auburn and brown leather coat, Kyle folded it loosely and stuffed it into a small storage compartment at the back of the vehicle. It was still a little too warm for him, so he rolled up the sleeves of his blue button-up shirt to above his elbows. When he was all finished squirming and adjusting, he again picked up his walkee-talkee and checked the coordinates. They were almost matched up with his by that time, and the distant sounds of leaves and twigs crunching caught his attention.

Endri took his time as he walked to meet up with his partner, touching the trunks of trees as he passed, feeling the rough bark against his slightly calloused fingers. He grasped limbs that hung low overhead and pulled them down only to release them and watch them bob back into position as he walked past. All too soon, however, he was standing next to Kyle while the man sat on his 4-wheeler, arms crossed again, boot tapping the foot rest, and fingers drumming against his upper arms.

"No wonder it took you so damn long. Where's your 4-wheeler?" he grumbled, eyeing his partner with a pair of piercing, sky-blue eyes.

The blonde merely shrugged, not laying his covered gaze to the irate man. "I left it back at the tent."

"Why? You can get around so much quicker with it. That's why we rented them."

Endri turned his head away from Kyle completely, looking off somewhere into the woods. "They're too fast sometimes. I'd just like to walk. I like the scenery."

His companion answered with silence, and the ghost became too curious. He finally locked gazes with the man, seeing his reaction to the statement he had just uttered. Kyle simply sat and stared, his mouth not quite shut but not quite gaping.

"You like the scenery," he said more than questioned.

"Yes. What's wrong with that?"

"You…of all people…are telling me you like the scenery."

"And I ask again, what is wrong with that?"

Kyle chuckled, reaching down to switch off his walkee-talkee since it was no longer needed at the time. "I just never pictured you to be the outdoors type."

Endri frowned behind his glasses and looked into the trees again. "I prefer this type of surrounding, actually."

Kyle just laughed again.

"What's so funny?"

"That phrase, coming out of someone's mouth like yours," the man responded, checking the gauges on his 4-wheeler and prepping it for departure.

"And how is that funny?" Endri asked again, whatever his partner was amused with lost on him.

Kyle shook his head, turning the key to start the vehicle. "Someone like you—a hard, emotionless bastard—likes the pretty trees? A-HA-ha!" he laughed above the roar of the compact engine below his seat.

Endri scowled at the insult, but chose not to reply. He simply climbed behind his partner, wrapped the bottom half of his lambskin coat over his legs to keep it away from the wheels, and held loosely to Kyle's slight waist.

Sighing softly with disappointment, Endri watched the trees he had taken so much time to walk through and observe serenely begin to blur past him, masking their beauty. It was such a shame.

I I I I I

They rode for about twenty minutes until the foliage became too thick for the 4-wheeler to pass, so they disembarked and continued along on foot. Kyle walked ahead of his partner, using a machete to carve their path, and Endri just tagged along at a safe distance behind.

The man was muttering about something or the other that seemed to be ticking him off, but the ghost just tuned him out, finding their surroundings much more enjoyable than irate ramblings. How long had it been since he had the pleasure of walking through the woods like this? Too long. The woods were his home. He belonged there. Contrast to whatever stereotype Kyle or others put to him, he was indeed an outdoorsman. He knew more about living off the land than any human could learn in years.

The trees and the light breeze through their leaves, the soil beneath his feet, the birds high above, and the animals down below all talked to him, all sang to his still blood, '_You are home. This is where you belong._'

Endri sighed longingly and reached out to pluck a honeysuckle from its vine. He sniffed it genteelly and resisted the temptation to taste the sweet nectar hidden within the petals.

"—istening to a word I say?" Kyle's voice suddenly broke through.

The ghost blinked behind his glasses and lifted his nose from the white flower. His gaze rested to the human's flushed red face, and he wondered exactly how long he had been spacing out. "Pardon?"

"Did you even hear a word I just said?" Kyle hissed, his blue eyes flashing.

"I…uh…" Endri tilted his head a tad to the side, "no."

The human threw his arms up in defeat, growling loudly. "Argh! You see, this is **exactly** what I mean! You just do whatever you damn well please, and leave **me** to do the dirty work!"

The ghost frowned behind his glasses. It wasn't like his partner to blow up like that. "That isn't true."

"Isn't it? Who's the one who rigged his GPS to be able to locate all the keys? Who's the one who books the flights, trains, hotel rooms, rents the cars and other crap, runs errands, and stays up until ungodly hours working on his laptop to find the next key? I'll tell you. **Me!**" Kyle shouted, taking his machete and sinking it into a nearby tree with one swing of his arm. "And what do you do? Sit on your ass and take it easy while **I** do the rest!"

Endri let his hand holding the honeysuckle flower fall down to his side, releasing the blossom to let it drift slowly earthward. "You know that isn't true. So why are you so angry at me all of the sudden? What did I do to set you off?"

"Oh, believe me, Endri, this has been building for quite a while. I just never had the opportunity or quite frankly the guts to say anything. But now…now I'm just too pissed to care," Kyle growled, clenching his fists and crossing his arms. "I mean, after all, if I ever said the wrong thing, you could beat the living crap outta me with one hand."

"I'd never do that," Endri assured, taking a step forward.

Kyle retreated a step, keeping the distance equal between them. "No, you just stay over there."

"Kyle, wh—"

"I mean, I don't even know you! You could be some serial killer, and I wouldn't even know it until I'm the next in line! Dammit, Endri, I don't even know your **full name**! But you know so much about me, it's scary. What are you, the kind of killer that learns all he can about his victims before he off's 'em?"

Endri stood silently, simply staring across the way. Only about eight feet separated them, but the distance seemed impassible to him. He never even opened his mouth to assuage Kyle's accusations.

"Yeah. And this 'crusade' we're on. **Your** crusade that you dragged me into. Maybe—maybe, I don't wanna do this anymore. Revenge sounded sweet at first, but now its just becoming tiresome. And how'm I supposed to believe this ridiculous story of yours that we can go to a Neitherworld and use these keys we're finding to open gates to other dimensions. That's just ludicrous! It's insane if you think about it!… And I can't believe I was so weak-minded to let you convince me to do it. So now, here I am, out in the middle of nowhere with a stoic lunatic looking for little metal and stone balls to take to a place that probably doesn't even exist!"

Endri drew his full lips into a thin line, trying to hold his abundant anger in check. Kyle was just frustrated. All humans got like that on occasion when things weren't working out. Endri hadn't been paying attention when he was supposed to, and it had apparently lit a very shortened fuse. He should just let the man vent on him, and then things would be all right again. But still, being called a 'stoic lunatic' wasn't exactly flattering.

"So…is that what you think of me?" he asked, keeping his voice very carefully in check. He expressed nothing that could betray his emotions.

"Oh, you want to know what I think of you? All right, then." Kyle cracked his knuckles and psyched himself up for the battle that was sure to arise from his next words. Any normal person would want to beat him into a pulp for what he was about to say, and knowing Endri, Kyle would be in for one massive thrashing. But he went on anyway, just too angry to see reason.

"Here's what I think of you, Endri—if that's even your real name. I think you're an arrogant ass who couldn't show emotion to save his life. Did it ever once occur to you that I don't like feeling like crap all the time? Because that's how you make me feel. Every time you're around with your apathetic ass, you depress me. You never have anything exciting to say or do. You're boring, Endri."

He paused, then, to steel his nerves enough to continue. Endri's blank stare was beginning to drill through his soul. "And the way you look at me—with those damn glasses on all the time. It creeps me out! I know you have a sensitivity to light, or so you say, but I've never once seen your eyes. What color are they? I shouldn't even ask, 'cause you probably won't tell me that either! You're one big mystery that I'll never be able to figure out, but, I'm happy to say, I don't want to try anymore." Kyle smiled, but it wasn't in high spirits; it was dripping with malice. "That's right. I'm sick of trying to work my way under your impenetrable exterior. I'm tired of trying time and time again to get you to loosen up. I'm fed up with trying to be your friend. It's obvious to me that isn't what you want anyway. You just want our partnership until **I** practically get all the keys for you, then you'll ditch me along the road and take off to your Neitherworld, leaving me in the dust." He eyed the blonde before him. "That's what you were going to do, wasn't it."

Endri lifted his head just a bit higher in acknowledgement of the question and paused for a few moments before giving an answer. "No."

Kyle huffed, crossing his arms again. "No? Pff! No? You see, that's **exactly** what I'm talking about! Listen to you! No emotion in your voice whatsoever. Do you even have inflexion at all? Have you always been such a stoic prick? Were you just born that way? 'Cause I find it hard to believe you could be such an ass as a little boy. Then again, there **are** little boys who're raised to be asses.

"And the crazy thing is, is that this whole ordeal doesn't even make sense! A while back, two years now, it felt like I was starting to get to know you. It took a while, over a year from the time we became partners. When Moorlan died." His voice wavered for just a moment before he caught himself and continued on. "I thought you had changed. I thought you were opening up. You started being nicer to me; you gave me that expensive ring—the only thing that hadn't been stolen from you. This ring right here." He reached down into his shirt and lifted out a silver chain hidden within, dangling the ring he had strung to it before Endri's gaze. "You said it was one of the last things that was important to you, and you gave it to me because you said **I** was important to you too. So I thought…I thought that meant that we were going to be friends.…" He looked at the ring in his hand with watery blue eyes, and, suddenly disgusted with it, tore the chain from his neck and threw it at his partner.

Endri lifted a hand and caught the item smoothly, the limp chain dangling from either side of his fist.

"But we haven't become friends! If anything, you've distanced yourself further from me than ever! Are you afraid? Afraid you'll be hurt again if something happens to me?" He huffed in disgusted amusement. "Of course, that's just me…being hopeful again. Deep down inside, I'm hoping you do give a crap about me. But the more sensible side of me knows you could care less. I bet you don't even care about anything at all. Nothing but your revenge, of course. That's first and foremost on your mind, isn't it? Do you even care? Do you care about anything else at all?"

Endri stood in silence, his hands long since drawn into tight fists, the discarded necklace still dangling from one. But what Kyle never took notice to was how tightly those fingers were drawn toward the ghost's palms or how his knuckles had gone bone-white instead of their usual deathly pale hue. And if the human would pause just a few moments in his ranting, he would be able to catch the light tremble that occasionally shook those fisted hands. Endri was good at keeping his emotions in check, but his blockade was wearing down with each new accusation and insult slung from his partner's lips.

"I bet you don't care," Kyle went on, oblivious to the ghost's growing anger. "Did it ever occur to you that I **needed** a friend? That I needed someone to talk to? Someone to listen to me and help me with my problems? Someone to put their arm over my shoulders and tell me everything would be all right again?" Sighing, Kyle let his head hang and shook it weakly. "I used to think you would be that person. I thought you would be different from the rest of the people I'd ever known—different from all the bastards in my hometown that blamed me…for them. All the jerks that saw only what they wanted to see, and were so quick to point fingers—all of them at me!" He thrust a finger toward his chest, emphasizing his words as he glared back over at the unmovable visage of his partner. "Well, you're just like them! You don't give a damn about me, and I highly doubt you ever will!"

He glared hatefully across the distance between them, noticing how Endri had barely even moved since his tirade began. "Look at you. Are you even listening to what I'm saying? Or are you spacing out again, looking at some dumb flower behind me? Do you even **care** about what I'm saying? Do you **understand** what I'm saying to you?"

Endri tilted his head just a tad upward again, acknowledging the new questions. His lips broke the thin line they had been in since his last statement and formed his new one. "I understand." And still, his voice was impassive, just like it had always been.

Kyle just shook his head in bewilderment, his piercing eyes locked to the ghost's dark shades. "And I rest my case. You emotionless, heartless, uncaring, selfish son of a bitch!" he cried. "I'm so sick of this! I am out of here, Endri! Find your own damn keys; I quit this lousy partnership. I'm quitting this lousy forest, I'm quitting this lousy country you dragged me to, and I'm quitting **you**, Endri! I don't ever want to see your sorry excuse for an ass again! I…" his voice caught in his throat for a split second, emphasizing his pain, "**I hate you!**"

Kyle spun on his heel and darted off into the dense brush, his entire body gone within two steps beyond the foliage. Only the hastened rustle of his moving through the leaves and branches gave any indication someone was still close by.

Endri released the breath he had been holding for the last five minutes, even while he spoke his short answers, and felt his body sag downward in defeat. There went another o—

"AAAUUGGGH!"

The echoing scream erupted from up ahead, and it was Kyle's voice, raised to an unnatural pitch and sounding like he was in terrible pain. Endri hesitated for a split second as what the scream could mean registered in his mind before pocketing the necklace he was still holding with a vice-like grip and taking off at a hastened pace, following the human's path through the thick foliage.

Was it a snake? Had he been bitten? Did he trip and hurt himself? Was his ankle sprained or broken? Was some wild animal attacking him? Did he need help? Would he even accept Endri's help with how much he…he hated him?

That word echoed throughout his being, sending another pang of discomfort through his chest with each reverberation. Hate. Kyle hated him. True, he never felt all that close to the man, but why did that phrase sting more than it ever had from someone else's lips? He had been told he was hated before, but the pain was never so deep. Could it be that he actually felt more for Kyle than he realized? Did he really consider the man his…friend?

Friend. The word was so foreign to him, it was almost another language he had yet to learn. But he wanted to learn. He wanted to learn everything he possibly could. Every time he ran across something new of interest, he had to learn about it. Maybe he should have tried more adamantly to learn how to be a good friend instead of concentrating on stowing his emotions away from everyone and everything…even himself.

Now, it seemed, he was too late. Kyle hated him, and he would probably never gain back what little trust they had to begin with. He just didn't know what he would do now, or where he would go. He was just getting used to the wily, white and grey-haired human, and now he was alone again. But not quite yet.

"AAUGH! AH! OH, SHIIIIT!" Kyle's voice screamed again. It almost sounded like he was…dying?

Endri swallowed and picked up his pace. No, Kyle shouldn't die. He wasn't supposed to die yet. He was far too young, still in his prime of life. Life was precious. Life needed to be harbored and encouraged to grow. And Endri could protect life without any concern for his own because he did not posses it himself, and so he could never lose it. That meant he would always be there to protect life. He would never waiver. He would never wink out of existence. He would always be a sturdy rock for life to hold onto, hide beneath, and prosper as it rode on his strong shoulders.

The thought of Kyle dying—it…stung. Why did it sting? Why would it? Why should it? It made no sense. Unless Endri **did** think of the human as his friend. Then it all made sense—perfect sense. But even still, he would not allow himself to believe he felt anything more than indifference for his partner. He couldn't afford it.

'_Please don't be hurt_,' the ghost thought against all the negativity as he pushed his body faster through the foliage. He had to find Kyle and fast! Just then, he burst from the brush and skidded to a halt just inches before he would have rammed into his partner's back. He backed away, mouth agape at the sight that befell his eyes.

Kyle had been running so fast and so blindly, fueled on by burning anger, that he had no time to stop before breaching the concealing leafage and impaling himself upon a tree branch extending out from a gnarled, dead tree. The cloth over the human's left shoulder in back protruded just slightly, but was not torn. The man was only so lucky that the branch hadn't penetrated the entire way through his shoulder. The circumference of the limb was about that of a screwdriver handle, and that extended into the front of Kyle's shoulder.

The human held onto the tree before him, one hand to the bark of the trunk, the other wrapping around the branch puncturing his shoulder. Three more inches to the right and down just a tad, and he would have pierced his heart. His entire body trembled with shock and pain, and his mouth gaped open in a silent cry of agony.

Endri rounded him quickly, taking in his partner's pained features and fearful look. He had to do something to help! "Kyle! A-Are you all right?" he asked stupidly, unable to think of anything else. For once, he was shocked into ignorance, and his brain couldn't think of what to do.

Kyle's eyes darted to the ghost's visage as if just then noticing his presence. His mouth shut, and his teeth ground together, producing a strained kk-k noise. "Bastard!" he spat, his face red from pain and anger. "This i-is all your fault! Ahhsss!" he hissed, closing his eyes tight. The act of speaking seemed to jostle his body painfully around the branch penetrating clean into his person. He tried to hold as still as possible, but he was practically hanging from his shoulder, his tiptoes the only part of himself touching the ground.

Endri finally regained his bearings and stepped around to stand directly behind his partner. He made no move to touch him, however. "Kyle. You need to calm down. You'll only make this worse by over-stressing yourself." He heard a strained growl from the man in front of him, but no other words. "Now, I'm going to count to three, then I'm going to pull you free. All right?"

Kyle hissed in pain again. "No! No, don't touch me! Just leave me alone! AHH! Oh, damn! Oh, damn, I'm gonna die!"

"You aren't going to die. Just calm down, and everything will be fine."

"Fine? Fine? I'm freakin' stuck to a freakin' tree, and you say things'll be fine? Kiss my ass, Endri! I bet you **wanted** it to happen!" the man shouted, trying his best not to move, but not succeeding. It was hard to keep his balance on his tiptoes and speak at the same time, and the pain was becoming overwhelming.

A pair of hands gripped Kyle's upper arms, and he screamed with the pain that jolted through his left shoulder. A voice spoke quietly and calmly into his ear, warm in tone, but still stoic.

"One…two…three!" Endri pulled straight back on his partner's arms, pulling the man's body away from the sharp branch with a sickening slush of tearing flesh.

"GNAHHHUUGHH!" Kyle screamed at the top of his lungs, feeling unbearable pain lace through his body like lightning, shocking his entire system. He collapsed limply into the ghost's strong arms and felt his body being laid to the ground.

Endri knelt next to his partner, cradling the man's head in his lap to keep his shoulder from hitting the forest floor. He quickly shrugged off his coat, trying not to jostle Kyle's body too much. The man grunted in pain as his body began to shake involuntarily, his eyes kept tightly shut against the blinding flashes of agony sparking behind his lids.

Endri eventually got his coat off and laid it to the ground beside himself, then drug Kyle's shuddering, half limp body over and placed him upon it. As soon as the man's shoulder rested to the ground, he couldn't contain a cry of pain that made even Endri wince.

"Shhhh…" the blonde hushed, quickly undoing the buttons on his partner's blue shirt.

Kyle hissed through his teeth and cracked open one eye. "Don't you dare shush me! Ssah! Watch it, bastard! I told you not to touch me!" He waved his good arm around, trying like a child to keep his partner away.

"Calm down or the pain will be even worse than it needs to be," Endri ordered, deftly working around he man's wormlike appendage to get the last of the buttons apart. He pulled the left half of the bloodstained shirt open to inspect the wound more clearly.

A ragged hole of mangled, bloody flesh greeted him, and he hissed quietly through his teeth. That was not good. That could easily get infected by the time they got back to civilization—about three day's journey away. Already, he saw dirt in the wound: flecks of bark and splinters from that damn branch. He would have to clean it quickly, but with what? The canteen of water was back on the 4-wheeler, but even if he had it with them, he knew he couldn't waste the precious liquid like that. It would be more valuable for Kyle to drink than to clean his wound. So what then? What could he use? Endri's mind worked a mile a minute as he knelt over his partner of three years. The man's head of white and grey hair rolled back and forth lazily, shudders raking through his body, his eyes screwed shut as he muttered curses, both to the tree he had impaled himself upon and to Endri for being the supposed cause. The ghost chose not to do anything about the man's anger for the time being, being more concerned with his health than anything else. He was surprised Kyle hadn't passed out by now. The shock alone was causing him to shake, and it was getting worse.

An idea sprung to his mind just then, and right away, he knew Kyle would never approve. But it was almost literally do or die, and Endri certainly didn't want the human to pass on quite yet, especially since he hadn't fixed the hard feelings between them. He would hate to end things on a sour note.

"Kyle, just hold still. I need to clean your wound before I can dress it. It'll probably hurt," he said, his voice softer than usual, but still holding no real tone, no caring inflexion.

Kyle growled at him, cracking that same glaring eye open again. "The hell you will. You keep your filthy hands offa me. Just get the hell away from me!" He tried to squirm and get up, crawl away, anything to get away from that infuriating blonde, but Endri just smirked down at him, placing one hand to either side of the man's body, keeping him pinned without really touching him.

"I don't think you mean that. Especially since I could very well be saving your life right now." He leaned down and lifted his left hand to Kyle's upper right arm, holding him in place. "This will probably seem awkward, but just try to remain calm."

Kyle growled at him again, both eyes open now and his lips curled into a feral snarl. He felt like a helpless, injured animal under the hungry gaze of a lion.

Endri leaned his face lower and brought his lips to the gushing wound. His tongue snaked out and ran over the scored flesh, licking up large amounts of blood and a few pieces of dirt from the wound. He rolled the warm liquid over his tongue and gathered the bits of bark toward the front, then turned his head to the side and spat them out. The blood, he swallowed.

"AHHGH!AH, you sick bastard! I can't believe you!" Kyle shouted, wincing in absolute pain, his body on the verge of all-out convulsions. "That's disgusting—SSHAH!"

"Shut up," Endri growled, leaning close again. His tongue slid over the human's wound again, gathering only blood that time. He swallowed that down almost hungrily, then went back for more, digging his cleaning organ past the surface of Kyle's flesh and into the puncture, weeding out the bits of dirt stuck there.

All the while, the human writhed and screamed beneath him, both of his hands digging into his muscled sides, trying for all he was worth to tear into the white fabric of Endri's shirt and dig trenches in his pale skin. The pain, the absolute pain—it was too much to bear!

"Stoooop!" he cried finally, tears pricking his eyes and exhaustion dragging his strength away at a dead run. "No more, please! That's enough.…"

Endri backed away, indeed finding not much else to clean from the ragged wound. He licked his lips clean of Kyle's blood as he sat back to his haunches and pulled his white cotton shirt from the waistband of his jeans. Grabbing a seam, he tore upward about two inches, then ripped a strip of the material off all the way around the bottom of his shirt. He pulled the makeshift bandage around Kyle's shoulder about three times then tied it securely in place, making the man wince and groan with each jostle to his body.

"There," Endri said, sitting back to his haunches again and pulling the man's heavy arms to lay crossed over his stomach. "That should hold for a little while, but it'll need cleaning again in few hours since we don't have the proper medicine with us to take care of you. It's starting to get late in the day, so we'll leave for town tomorrow morning to get in a full day of traveling. Right now, we need to get you back to the tent. You need rest and something to eat."

Kyle scowled at him the entire time he lay there. He said not a word as the ghost drew his oversized coat around his smaller body and tied the arms over his chest, keeping the coat in place like a protective sheath. The man did hiss in pain, however, when his body was lifted almost roughly into Endri's arms and toted back through the thick foliage. He held his vocalization of pain in the entire walk back to the 4-wheeler and said not a word as the ghost positioned his body in front of his, facing him, his legs overlapping Endri's, and his chin propped to the ghost's shoulder. Endri started the engine and turned the vehicle around, then propelled it forward, back toward their small camp and shelter for the evening, one hand driving and the other holding a seething, trembling, pain-ridden Kyle against himself.


	2. Chapter 2 : Temporary Understanding

—Key Saga—

Forest Folly

Spencers13 (Lacey G) © June 9, 2003–2005 / Revised 2006—Revised 2009-2010

PG-13 (Language, Violence) / Angst; Drama

"Goodbye Blue Sky" lyrics from the album "The Wall" © _Pink Floyd_ 1979 / "Alone I Break" lyrics from the album "Untouchables" © _KoRn_ 2002

TimeBase : Key Saga circa August, 1995; Episode 04

— — —

**Chapter Two – Temporary Understanding**

The soft glow of a battery powered lantern illuminated the interior of a medium-sized tent in the middle of a forest somewhere in Canada. Shadows danced along the tent walls, scaring the local wildlife into keeping a safe distance. But the shadows weren't what scared them the most. It was the terrible shrieking that occasionally erupted from the temporary shelter that sent the wildlife running.

Endri sighed and continued to stare at the entrance to their tent that had been zipped shut for the evening. When they had arrived earlier, he had forced Kyle to lay in his sleeping bag and eat a granola bar. The man needed food for energy to heal his wound, but he was just so damn stubborn! He continually refused food, water, or general help from his partner, and it was beginning to get on the ghost's nerves. If the man didn't pull his act together, he may find himself in a dire situation.

With that thought, Endri swiveled his head to the left, alighting his sunglasses to the man lying a few feet from his left side. Sheathed inside his red sleeping bag and staring at the ceiling of the tent, his breaths came in short gasps from trembling lips. It was obvious he was in severe pain, but if he continued to breathe that way, he would hyperventilate and make himself sick or pass out.

"Calm your breathing," Endri ordered him, his voice softer than usual, but still holding an authoritative tone.

"Screw you," came the grumbled answer. Kyle kept his eyes riveted to the roof of the tent, not wanting to lay them to the infuriating sight of his **ex**-partner. He didn't even want to **think** of him as his partner any longer.

Endri scowled behind his shades and shook his head, turning his eyes away and looking back to the tent door. '_Stubborn, arrogant…hmm…_' With a smirk, the ghost stared back over at Kyle, pointedly turning his body to sit facing him. He propped his elbows to his knees, sat cross-legged, and just **stared** into the human's face.

A blue eye darted to the side for a brief second, catching a glimpse of Endri's conspicuous gaze. Kyle shifted uneasily and tried his hardest to ignore the annoying blonde beside him, not to mention the continual, throbbing pain in his shoulder. He swallowed forcibly and went on panting labored breaths. Closing his eyes, he winced as another wave of pain rolled over his skin, making him break into an immediate sweat. His breath hitched in his throat, and he forced himself to swallow the lump that formed there. Kyle sighed, the pain passing for now, and opened his eyes again. He noticed Endri still sitting there, still staring at him, and still being oh, so annoying.

"Stop staring at me!" he shouted, rolling his head in the blonde's direction and scowling.

Endri smirked. "Calm your breathing, and I will."

Grunting, Kyle turned back to the roof and closed his eyes. Anything to keep that jackass from boring even more holes into his body. He concentrated on his breaths and forced himself to calm, actually feeling relief sag into his limbs as the pain subsided even more so. It was far from gone, however.

"I can't believe this is happening to me," he mumbled, his eyes still closed. "I never thought something like this would happen to me."

"Not many would," Endri concurred, adding his own two cents to the man's vocal thoughts.

"So…this is how my life's gonna end? In the middle of nowhere…in unbearable pain…in the company of the one person I hate the most," Kyle droned on.

The ghost gave a quiet sigh, rolling his eyes with annoyance then dropped his gaze to the blanket on which he sat.

Sighing himself, the human went on to say, "Figures." He laughed dryly a second before wincing in pain again. "Well…are you proud of your handiwork, Endri?"

The man in question looked up again, seeing Kyle's sky-blue eyes looking at him in genuine question. "I didn't mean for this to happen, Kyle," he offered in his own way of apologizing. Though why he even needed to apologize was lost on him.

Kyle only huffed and turned his gaze back to the ceiling. "Yeah…right."

Sighing quietly, Endri resigned to allow silence to reign supreme. He simply sat for a time, his line of sight drifting off to nowhere of importance, letting his thoughts flow in and out of his mind like errant breezes. Idly, he listened to the creatures of the night outside the tent, croaking and chirping. Occasionally, a long howl echoed through the timbers, and the ghost took notice to Kyle flinching at the sound. He was obviously not used to camping out in the woods.

Finally, Endri shook himself from his daze and scooted his bottom over to sit directly beside his partner. He leaned over the man and deftly picked at the knot in the T-shirt bandage.

"What are you doing?"

"I need to check it. It probably needs cleaning again," the ghost replied, listening to Kyle hiss when he accidentally bumped his shoulder while peeling the blood-soaked bandage off. Gently, Endri prodded at the wound with his fingers, inspecting its condition before anything else.

"AH! Don't poke it, jackass! Just leave it alone; it'll be fine if you don't touch it," Kyle growled, flinching and trying to jerk away with each tender paw of the ghost's pale fingers.

Endri pulled his hand away, shaking his head. "No, you've been sweating and dirt has worked its way back in. It needs cleaned again."

"You will **not** lay your tongue on me again! That's disgusting! Just clean it with some water."

"I can't. We only have a limited supply, and it would be more valuable to you if you drank it. Licking it is the only other alternative I see. Besides, saliva is a natural healing agent. It's a weak antibiotic, but it helps to prevent infections," the ghost told him.

The white-haired man just rolled his eyes. "Well, your view of things is totally warped."

Endri smirked, tilting his head a fraction to the side. "I thought you'd grown to expect that."

"Humph!"

The ghost leaned down. "Just hold still."

Kyle squirmed beneath his partner's grip, trying feebly to get away or make him stop. "No, I don't wan—AHH!" he shouted as pain raced through his shoulder and down his chest and arm.

Without another word, Endri had drawn his tongue slowly over Kyle's wound. He licked tenderly but thoroughly, keeping his partner pinned firmly to the ground with a hand to each arm.

"You sick, sick, sick bastaaaard!" the man screamed, feeling that probing tongue delve into the scored flesh of his shoulder.

The ghost formed his tongue into a point and pressed it past the surface of Kyle's skin, working out the small bits of grit hiding there. He cleaned out the salty taste of sweat and swallowed the fresh blood he had unwittingly stirred up, all the while listening to the man's screams and rants so painfully close to his sensitive ear.

Not long after, Endri finished the tongue bath and leaned up, licking away the coppery taste still evident on his lips. He reached down as he had before and tore a two inch wide bandage from the bottom of his T-shirt, then wrapped it gently around Kyle's shoulder. He tied the two ends into a knot, making the man wince and grunt each time he secured a loop.

"I can't believe you forgot the first aid kit," Endri quietly reprimanded with no harmful intent as he was finishing up. "That's one of the essentials."

Kyle panted and trembled in pain, trying to forget the traumatic experience he just had to endure. "Oh, so that's my job too huh? You coulda grabbed it just as easily as me."

"I didn't see where you had it kept, or I would have. Not having it will make things a lot more difficult." Kyle only huffed and stared at the ceiling once more, doing his best to let Endri's words fall on deaf ears. "It will need to be cleaned at least twice a day to keep infections at bay, and you will need to rest as much as possible. And," the ghost added, reaching for the water canteen and unscrewing the lid, "water will be essential for you. Here, drink." He held the mouth of the canteen to the man's lips and tilted it just slightly, offering the cool drink.

Kyle closed his eyes and turned his head away.

An exasperated sigh slipped through Endri's lips. "Come-on, Kyle, it's just water. You need to drink."

"Why should I listen to you?" the man grumbled. "You just tried to kill me today. What, are you trying to drag out my last few days just to make me feel pain that much longer? Just go away and leave me alone."

Endri growled and slammed the lid back to the canteen, screwing it back shut with a few jerks of his fingers. "Fine! Don't listen to me. See if I care. See if I care when you start to become dehydrated and weak. Maybe I should just leave you here and be on my way, just like I had 'planned'. According to you, I won't care what happens to you anyway. So you can try to survive on your own out here, miles from civilization, with a pack of hungry wolves closely following your tail, and I won't care. You'll become weaker and weaker, and I won't care. Your wound, without me to tend to it, will become infected, and I won't care. The infection will spread, and you could lose your arm," the ghost said lowly, using his finger to indicate from the bandaged wound down the man's arm hidden inside the sleeping bag, "and I won't care. Then, it'll spread to your heart," he went on slowly, keeping his voice dangerously intimidating, "or your brain." Endri pointed from one vital organ to the other with a slow movement of his finger, staring straight at the human's eyes and seeing them becoming rounder with fear. "And then you will **die**…and I—won't—care. All of that…because you were too **pigheaded** to accept help when you **knew** you needed it!"

Endri thrust the canteen back into Kyle's face, the lid already back off. "Are you really so eager to die? Do you hate me so much that you will put your anger for me before your life?"

Swallowing, the human averted his eyes from the ghost's meaningful stare. His partner's voice reached him, much gentler than before, and at a tone he had rarely heard from his lips. "Please…put your hate for me aside for just a while. Let me help you. Whether you believe me or not, I don't like seeing you hurt."

Kyle said nothing, but trained his eyes back to the ghost and blinked for a moment as if in thought. In a split second, his blue eyes dipped to indicate the canteen still very close to his face, then rose back to the blonde holding it.

Understanding, Endri reached down with his free left hand and cupped the back of the human's white hair in it. He lifted Kyle's head from the small travel pillow and brought the canteen to his lips. The man drank greedily, having denied himself a drink almost all day to spite his ex-partner, and he almost choked from too much of the life-giving liquid and not enough oxygen. Endri pulled the mouth of the canteen away from Kyle's wet lips to let him gasp for some air, then brought it back to give him seconds, which he almost inhaled to get more of. When he was finished, the ghost gently dropped the man's head back to the little pillow and capped the now half-empty canteen.

The human laid there and panted for a while, slowly calming from the long drink and all the excitement of the day. He watched as Endri replaced the canteen to its rightful spot, then took off his shin-high, black boots and tossed them to an unoccupied corner of the tent.

"You should move as little as possible," he was saying as he readjusted his sleeping blanket to be more comfortable. "Only your shoulder is hurt obviously, but if you don't move the rest of your body, all of that energy will go into repairing the damage. I was considering allowing you to ride your own 4-wheeler back to town, but with only one arm, steering will be difficult, and it will take us twice as long. So, you'll just ride with me, and we'll tow the other 4-wheeler behind us."

Just before Endri moved to lay down, Kyle spoke up, surprising the ghost for how silent he had been for a while now. "Let me get one thing straight with you, Endri." His voice was low, but tinged with a threatening tone. "I have no desire to die like this, which is why I'm even allowing you to help me. But that doesn't mean I hate your guts any less. You will only touch me to help me, any other time, you keep your hands to yourself. Do I make myself clear?"

Endri sat still for a time, leaning on his elbow to prop himself up. He stared over at Kyle's visage, watching the flickering emotions play across his features. Anger and hate were the easiest ones to pick out, but uneasiness also found its way to the surface, along with something else he just couldn't put words to. Finally, the ghost frowned and leaned over, putting his face directly over his partner's, making him look him in the glasses. "Fine. You want to play it that way, we'll play it that way. But we will play by **my** rules," Endri hissed. "First thing you must know: I take orders from no one. And even though I have been the most lenient on you than anyone else ever, I will still not tolerate your crap. **You** will do what **I** say, especially if you value your life."

"So, you **are** gonna kill me huh? I bet you were just waiting for the right opportunity!" Kyle cut in, anger blazing, more than willing to blame the ghost for anything and everything.

Endri hissed in barely-contained rage and pounded a fist into the tent floor right beside the human's head. "I have no desire to kill you! Dammit, will you just shut up for two seconds and **listen** to me? If you don't listen to what I say, do everything I tell you to do, you will have no chance of making it out of this forest alive! Do you hear me?"

Kyle's widening eyes showed his full attention, and he swallowed quietly. That was one of the first times he had ever had Endri that angry at him. It was disturbing, not to mention a bit scary to say the least.

"Answer me!"

"Y-Yes."

Relaxing his body, the ghost pulled his fist from the floor and used that hand to prop himself over his partner. He sighed and drooped his head down, letting his blonde locks cover his entire face save his chin. The tips swung down and tickled Kyle's cheeks and nose, forcing him to sniff and twitch. With a concealed smirk, Endri reached up and brushed his hair behind his pointed ears, revealing his face and pulling the strands away from their tickling torture.

"I'm…sorry." The words came with difficulty. "I just…out of all the people I have known in my day, if **any** of them were in the same position as you…I honestly wouldn't care all that much if they survived or not. And I certainly wouldn't be licking their wounds like I am yours." He paused for a moment to let those words sink in…if they even would. "Kyle, I…I value what we have…or had." His blonde head dipped down again, but the hair stayed behind his ear, leaving his face uncovered. "And even if our partnership must end this way, I at least want to make sure you'll be all right. So…please stop fighting me. You're really only causing stress, and that isn't good for you right now." Endri lifted his hand again and gently cupped it around Kyle's upper arm, swiping his thumb over the skin tenderly. "You need to stay relaxed."

The human swallowed heavily, trying to push down the lump that had formed in his throat. He didn't want to have to speak around it and have his voice waiver with emotion. "I…I just don't wanna die."

An almost smile pulled at the ghost's lips, but it never completely formed, just like it never did. "Then all you need to do is follow what I say, and everything will be fine."

Kyle jerked his head in a hesitant but conceding way. "All right, all right, whatever, just…get this straight…I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for me. And I'm not gonna like one second of it, just like I don't like you."

Sighing, Endri pulled away and scooted over to his sleeping blanket. "Fine. Hate me all you want. It doesn't bother me. Get some sleep now. When you wake up, you'll eat, and then we'll be on our way."

Kyle huffed around for a moment, but indeed closed his eyes and let himself drift off. Though, sleep didn't come quickly for either man in the tent that night: one kept awake by the sounds of the woods and pain, the other with thoughts of the loss of his partner. Things had been almost normal for so long, and now everything was quickly thrust into anarchy.

Endri sighed and rolled to his side, facing away from Kyle. Would he ever be able to fix things?


	3. Chapter 3 : Only A Name

—Key Saga—

Forest Folly

Spencers13 (Lacey G) © June 9, 2003–2005 / Revised 2006—Revised 2009-2010

PG-13 (Language, Violence) / Angst; Drama

"Goodbye Blue Sky" lyrics from the album "The Wall" © _Pink Floyd_ 1979 / "Alone I Break" lyrics from the album "Untouchables" © _KoRn_ 2002

TimeBase : Key Saga circa August, 1995; Episode 04

— — —

**Chapter Three – Only A Name**

The next day proceeded more or less as planned. Endri woke before his partner and prepared him a quick breakfast of a power bar and water, which he had much less trouble making him eat.

Kyle remained silent as he sat off to the side at the base of a large pine tree, watching his partner pack everything up into their rightful places and secure them to his 4-wheeler. When everything was ready, Endri rigged Kyle's 4-wheeler to his own and switched it into neutral, turning it into a trailer that held most of their belongings.

Stepping over, the blonde stooped down and gathered the man into his arms. Kyle hissed in pain when his shoulder was bumped, and he stared off to the side, disgusted that he was being toted around in his new enemy's arms like a child. It was a little odd thinking of Endri as his enemy, as before, they usually got along rather well, even though it was purely a professional relationship. But then, he remembered how utterly emotionless his former partner had always been, ignoring him when he needed help the most, leaving him by himself when he needed a friend the most. Kyle wondered briefly if Endri even knew **how** to be a friend to someone.

"I hate this," the man grumbled as his partner settled him onto the back of the 4-wheeler seat.

"You only have to put up with it for about two more days, then you'll be in town and have proper medical treatment," Endri told him, swinging his leg over the seat and plopping down. He checked over the vehicle's gauges and prepared for their departure.

"I don't mean the whole traveling situation, though I hate that too."

"What are you talking about, then?" the blonde asked over his shoulder, pausing to hear what Kyle had to say before turning the key to start the loud engine.

"This, everything, this entire situation—my having to be so damn close to you when I'd rather not be. Oh, and I forgot, I hate you too," the man grumbled, glaring hatefully at Endri's profile.

Sighing, the blonde faced forward. "Thank you for reminding me. I had almost forgotten. Remind me to talk to you about that later." He started the 4-wheeler and revved it a few times before calling, "Hold on tightly! I'm not going to be slow! We need to move as fast as possible, got it?"

Grumbling obscenities under his breath, Kyle reached around his enemy's waist and held as tightly as possible, hoping to maybe crush something. Immediately, they lurched forward, and the man quickly found his one-armed grip inadequate. Trying to be quick as his hold was slipping, Kyle moved his hand down and curled his fingers around Endri's belt in a death grip. The ghost sped up, flying through the trees at breakneck speed, knowing Kyle was safer with his grasp around the secure belt.

I I I I I

They rode for a few hours, the bumps sometimes making Kyle cry out in pain. Endri would say nothing and continue on as if it never happened. It wasn't that he was being cruel and heartless, it was just that he could do nothing about it, so why fret over it when he could go faster and get the man real help? Kyle, however, **did** think Endri was only being heartless, and fought to keep his tears of pain at bay as the ride only seemed to become rougher and rougher.

I I I I I

They pushed onward, stopping about twice to eat and for Kyle to relieve himself, and three times to get the 4-wheeler untangled from some weeds or pulled out of a muddy ditch. Endri didn't let anything deter him, however, he just continued to push on. And on they went until evening.

The sky grew darker faster than the ghost was expecting, and he stopped the 4-wheeler caravan, casting his covered gaze skyward. "Hmm…" He sniffed the air and looked around through the trees.

Behind him, Kyle sat with his hand wrapped around Endri's belt, still holding on tight. He was used to clinging with a death grip and didn't even give it conscious thought any longer. He noticed his ex-partner fidgeting uneasily and frowned, pissed that they had stopped for seemingly no reason.

"What's your problem?"

Endri sniffed at the air again. "It's going to rain."

"Rain? How can you tell?"

"Can't you smell it?" the blonde asked, tilting his nose into the air and inhaling once more.

Kyle lifted his nose and sniffed quietly, forming another frown afterward. "No. You're nuts."

Endri ignored the mild insult and looked off into the woods again. "We need to find somewhere to camp."

"But we still have about two hours of sunlight left!" the human argued, finally pulling his hand away from the ghost's belt and checking his watch.

Endri fidgeted a little more, tightening and loosening his grip on the handlebars and squirming a tad in the seat. He tapped his black boots to the foot rest a few times, and Kyle could swear he was biting his lip.

"It will start to rain in about one hour. That only gives us time to find a place to stop and setup camp."

"But—"

"No arguments!" Endri snapped, startling his passenger. "We can't risk driving around in the rain with you like this; you could easily get sick. We're putting up camp for the night, and that's final!" He started the engine again and took off immediately, Kyle almost falling backward before he secured his arm around the ghost again.

"_Tch! It's like arguing with a child.…_" Endri mumbled under his breath so his partner couldn't hear.

I I I I I

A decent spot was found, and the ghost had camp set up quickly. Kyle just sat off to the side again, watching, when he heard a low rumble overhead. He looked up in surprise, realizing that Endri was very correct about the storm. It would start to rain soon. He had no idea the blonde could predict the weather from sniffing the air. How strange, yet at the same time, intriguing.

Carefully, the ghost toted his partner into the tent and got him into a relaxing position. Food was handed to the man, and the water canteen was set off to the side within easy reach.

As Kyle ate, Endri sat nearby with his arms wrapped around his knees, staring out through the open tent flap. The sounds of rumbling in the distance, the trees blowing and rustling in the wind, and the darkened sky, all seemed to soothe him from the rigorous day. Raw nature had always calmed him, and soft storms did it best.

A longing sigh escaped his lips, but what he longed for, he didn't know. It had always been that way. Always, there had been an empty space inside him that never could be filled, no matter how he tried. And right then, he was feeling quite empty. But the coming storm was soothing, and he took as much comfort as he could from it, letting the breeze invading the tent play with him and comb his hair.

Unbeknownst to Endri, Kyle had been observing his actions closely. The man easily noted his former partner was acting differently than normal and wasn't quite sure what to make of it. The guy seemed almost depressed or bored, and Kyle had rarely ever seen him that way. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to that hardened blonde than he realized. If only he could crack that impenetrable shell. But Kyle had to derail that train of thought forcibly. He had already tried to get under his partner's barriers before—tried and failed. So there was no way he would keep going—continue to try to be friends. It just wasn't worth the trouble. So forget it, he had to tell himself angrily, don't even think about trying for anything. It would just be a waste of time and effort.

His blue-eyed gaze dropped to the ham and cheese sandwich in his hand and suddenly realized that Endri hadn't eaten all day, nor did the man eat after he had been injured the day before.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" he asked after swallowing the bite in his mouth.

Endri didn't look back as he answered, keeping his gaze on the scenery outside the tent. "I'm not hungry."

"But you haven't eaten all day or drank anything for that matter," Kyle argued. Even though he held no real concern for the man, he still knew food and drink was a necessity to life, no matter whose life it was.

"I don't want anything. I'm fine."

Frowning, the human said, "You gotta be at least a little hungry."

At last, Endri looked back, turning only his head. "Why so concerned for my well-being all of the sudden?"

Kyle huffed and rolled his eyes. "I'm not. I'm just curious as to why you won't eat."

The corners of the ghost's mouth turned down into a frown. "Curious… Kyle, you are too curious for your own good. One of these days, it will either get you into a lot of trouble or killed."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to know things."

"But you want to know **everything**. Knowing everything isn't all it's cracked up to be, you know."

Kyle laughed mockingly. "What, are you telling me **you** know everything?"

Turning back to look outside, Endri grumbled, "I never said that."

"But you aren't denying it." His partner quirked a white eyebrow. "So, tell me, Mr. Know-it-all, what **do** you know? And don't tell me 'everything'."

"Humph…I know enough."

"That's not what I'm asking."

"You're being too curious again. It'll get you into trouble."

"Trouble with you, I take it."

"If need be, yes."

Kyle sighed in frustration. "There you go, bein' all secretive again. Why won't you tell me anything about yourself? What's so terrible that you have to hide it? What, did you **really** kill someone? Are you on the run or something? Am I like backup for you? Someone you keep around to use as a hostage if the Feds catch up to you?"

Endri remained silent, just staring outside.

Kyle's voice reached his ears, quieter than before, but solid. "Endri…what is your last name?"

The ghost sighed at the question and lowered his head, almost burying his nose between his knees. "Kyle…" He shook his head and regressed back to silence for a while. A mute war went on inside his being that showed no outward signs of being fought, and when one side was at last forced into submission, he finally asked, "Do you really want to know?" His voice was soft—softer than the human could ever remember hearing before.

Kyle nodded at first, not realizing his old partner couldn't see the motion. "Yeah, I do."

Endri rubbed his hands along his calves, wiping the sweat off of his palms, and curled his chest back against his knees again. He wrapped his arms back around them, staring out the tent door as rain began to fall. It pattered lightly on the ground and nylon shelter overhead, kicking up the earthy smell that only rain could produce.

Quietly, the blonde's voice declared over the new sounds. "Timbürland."

Kyle stared at the back of Endri's head. That was it? Suddenly, the blonde went from someone who only seemed like half a person to someone with a full name and loads of history behind it? "Endri Timbürland," he said quietly, memorizing the name quickly. "That's very…unique."

Endri only nodded solemnly, not removing his eyes from the rain.

"You-ah…got a middle name too?"

"Don't push it, Bennington."

Kyle chuckled, shaking his head. At least he had come just a fraction farther than before, even if it was just learning his partner's last name.

"Though…truthfully…" Endri went on softly, surprising his white-haired companion, "it isn't my complete name."

"Really!" his partner shouted, clapping a hand to his thigh in mock amazement. "Now we're gettin' somewhere! So, what **is** your full name?" He grinned. Maybe he would get more after all!

Endri sat quiet for a time, staring outside, inhaling deeply the moist, thick air. In his mind, he debated over and over: should he really tell Kyle? Would it be so bad? It **was** only his name, despite the fact that if certain connections were made, it may reveal more than he intended. But perhaps, if he told him that one small thing about himself, the man might relent and things could become smoother between them. Yes, it was worth revealing one small secret, but it would still be difficult to actually speak words he hadn't even thought of for—

"I haven't spoken it in many years. No one knows it and is still alive," Endri half whispered, breaking the lengthening silence.

Kyle swallowed quietly, suddenly feeling a little nervous. "Are you gonna tell me then kill me?"

The ghost chuckled, feeling genuine amusement from the comment. "You are hell-bent on me killing you."

"Well, you give me no reason to think you won't."

"Isn't my word enough?"

The man paused for a second, letting those words take their course. "Not right now, it isn't."

Endri released a disgruntled, "Mm…"

"So…you gonna tell me?" Kyle asked from behind.

The ghost just sat in silence, watching as the rain became too heavy outside. The wind shifted and blew the cascading droplets through the tent's opening, and Endri crawled up to zip it closed. He scooted back to sit parallel with his partner, but at a safe three feet away. He never looked over.

Sighing, the blonde began working off his boots for the night. He removed one slowly as he spoke, finally answering Kyle's question. "Well, I don't see why not now. You want to know my complete name, then?"

Flustered, the human threw his good arm into the air then flopped it back to his lap in a huff. "Yes! For crying out loud, yes!"

Endri smirked, pulling off his second boot. He actually got a rise out of dragging the whole situation out. He never knew picking on someone good-naturedly could be so…fun. Quickly, he brushed the random thoughts away, knowing Kyle was getting agitated. He didn't want to make things worse than they were already.

Squirming into a cross-legged position, the ghost sat with his elbows to his knees and stared at the floor. "My name is…Endriði Timbürland." He said it with a heavier accent, curling the "r" off of his tongue and pronouncing the letter "ð" like the "th" in the word "this".

Kyle blinked. "I've never heard of that name, let alone 'Endri'."

"It's a very old name."

The man quirked a white eyebrow. "I see. So…Endriði…how old **are** you? Or rather, how old were your parents when they named you? Did they like odd, old-fashioned names or something? Though it seems to fit well with that language you speak. Icelandic, isn't it? So you're from Iceland? Were you born there? How long did you live there? Is that where your parents are from?"

Shaking his head, the ghost replied, "Please, just Endri. Just because you know it doesn't mean you have to use it. And I choose not to answer those questions."

"And why not?" Kyle asked, feeling anger rising once more. Just when he thought he was making progress, that blonde-headed bastard had to throw a wrench into the whole works. It figured.

Endri frowned. "You already know too much."

"I know too much? I know your damn name, and that's too much?" his partner exploded.

The ghost glared over, almost wishing he could remove his glasses so Kyle could see the anger flashing in his eyes. "Yes, it is! Even for as little as you know, you still hold more knowledge of me than anyone else on this mud ball! If I were you, I'd quit while I was ahead!"

"Arg!" the human growled. "You secretive jerkwad! You know almost everything about me; why won't you tell me about **you**? It isn't fair!"

"There are just things you are better off not knowing. And don't you know?" Endri leaned closer, subtracting about two of the three feet between them. His voice dropped in tone, almost whispering the words he spoke with conviction. "Life isn't fair. **Nothing** is. Especially not people."

Kyle scowled, tilting away from him. "Yeah…I got that."

Sighing, the ghost lowered his head, letting his hair droop over his face, concealing a great deal of it. He looked back up with his mouth set into a determined line and scooted over. He put his hands to the human's upper arms and pushed back gently, trying to get him to lay back.

"What're you doin'?" Kyle hissed in pain, resisting as best he could.

Endri only pushed harder. "I need to check your shoulder again. I should have a few times during the day, but I let it slide." He forced the man to lay down and worked at the bandage as gingerly as possible. The human grunted and grumbled, but otherwise cooperated.

When the bloodstained T-shirt bandage had been untwined and removed, Endri hissed quietly at the sight that befell him. The ragged wound was bloody, red, and raw. Dirt was caked around the edges and even down further in the puncture. It looked not only painful, but dangerous.

"Skíta. It's worse than before. I'm not going to let it slide for your sake again," the blonde said determinedly.

"For **my** sake?" Kyle repeated, confused.

Endri gently touched around the wound, pressing on the unblemished skin, almost afraid to come into contact with the wound itself. The human briefly wondered if the man had ever been so gentle with anyone before. It seemed almost unnatural for a person as strong and built as he to be so gentle. But there he was, built like a tank and probably able to contend with one, yet his fingers touched so lightly they almost didn't touch at all. Amazement couldn't help working through Kyle's mind, and he hated that.

"I didn't check it all day because I know you don't like me to. I won't make that mistake again."

Without another word, Endri leaned down and drew his tongue over his partner's wound gently. Kyle bucked and hissed, his hands balling into shaking fists and swallowing handfuls of his sleeping bag. The ghost held him down by his arms, touching the scored flesh of his shoulder with only his tongue. He licked the wound clean of all dirt, swallowing only the blood that resurfaced from being disturbed, then worked up a large amount of saliva on his tongue. He licked one final time over the puncture, depositing the thick liquid to help prevent infection, then pulled back completely.

Kyle lay, panting and sweating from unbearable pain. Sometimes having a high tolerance to it wasn't a very pleasant thing. His eyes opened groggily, and he observed the wavering, foggy image of Endri ripping another strip from his white shirt to use as a bandage. As the blonde wrapped him back up, the man's senses slowly came back, his vision cleared, and the pain ebbed to a constant, annoying throb.

"There," Endri said softly, tying the last knot in the bandage. "You should be good until about noon tomorrow, provided we travel."

"Provided we travel?" Kyle asked, angry that his voice rasped from his throat. He had shouted just a little too much that time. But, oh, damn, did that hurt! It just made him even more livid at his former partner, though. All of it—his anger, the tree, the pain, the entire situation—was **Endri's** fault. One of these days, he would get that blonde back for everything that was currently transpiring. And his revenge would be oh, so sweet, he promised himself.

The ghost nodded at the question and pulled Kyle's sleeping bag around his chest, effectively tucking him in for the night. "It may continue raining through tomorrow. We could be stuck here for half the day or more," he explained calmly.

The human's eyes widened, first in disbelief, then fear. "No…no, we gotta get back to town!"

Endri patted the air very close to Kyle's lips, shushing him. "We can't control the weather, so don't fret over it. We'll leave when the rain stops, no earlier."

"No, we gotta keep moving!"

The blonde frowned. "Calm down. You'll only cause yourself stress and hurt yourself more."

"You_…_" Kyle growled, curling his upper lip into a snarl of pure hate. "You **wanted** this to happen! You **want** to make sure I don't get help in time! You had it in for me since the very beginning, haven't you?"

Endri snarled his upper lip as well. Kyle wanted a mouth battle, he would get one! "What, you think I enjoy this? You think I **enjoy** sticking my tongue in your bloody wound and licking it clean every few hours? You think I did all of this for **my** benefit? Think again, Kyle! It was **you** who blew up at me for no reason I could clearly see. It was **you** who ran off and didn't watch where he was going.

"I've done so much for you. I carried you around so you could save your strength. I'm giving you all the food and water and not taking any for myself. I'm licking your wound clean with my own tongue then tearing my own shirt up for your bandages. And I'm taking every ounce of your bull without hardly a complaint. So, what is your damn problem with me? What the hell have I done to piss you off so? If you weren't wounded, I swear, you'd be at my throat!"

"Maybe I would be!"

"Why?"

"Because you let me down!" Kyle shrieked, closing his eyes with the intensity of his words.

Endri froze to his spot, staring down at the man's flushed face, watching him pant and lightly tremble with anger. It seemed he had been holding more inside than he previously expressed, and the words cut deeper than the blonde realized they would have.

"Every time I needed you…you were never there," Kyle hissed, opening his eyes to stare with hatred into Endri's glasses. "Every time I needed to talk…you wouldn't listen. I would stand right beside you and feel like there was no one there. You're so distant, and I **need** someone to be close. I'm always so lonely…**especially** in your presence. You…you make me feel like I'm nothing…worthless…a waste of time. Your neglect of me hurts worse than if you'd punch me in my shoulder right now, Endriði. And now…now, I **hate** you for it," he finished with a low hiss, eyes squinted with malice burning in his livid, blue orbs.

Swallowing, Endri backed away slowly, eyes still locked to Kyle's visage and crawling on his hands and knees. He sat heavily, letting his gaze drift off to stare at nothing. Silence reigned supreme, and the ghost said not a word for the longest time. It had been such a very long time since he had been truly stunned and stung by someone's words, and he quickly remembered how he didn't like the sensation. Had he really been so horrible?

"I see," he mumbled eventually. He cleared his throat quietly before continuing. "Well…I've been meaning to talk to you about this." Quietly, he sat, staring at the floor before him. "Kyle, I will get you to town and to medical treatment, and when I know you'll be all right, I'm going to…leave."

Kyle listened for more and frowned when he didn't get it. "Leave?"

Endri nodded, reaching down to blindly adjust his sleeping blanket. "You'll never see me again."

The man snorted and rolled his eyes, turning his head to face away. "Fine with me."

Holding all movement, the blonde swallowed quietly. "Yes…I thought so," he said, voice low and almost…sad? He reached up and turned off the lantern, then laid down facing away from his partner.

Sleep didn't exactly come quickly to Endri that night.


	4. Chapter 4 : Profile Of A Killer

Just in case you haven't read the update information on chapter 1, here it is again:

**AUTHOR'S NOTE (8-6-10):** My deepest apologies to those that have been reading this story for not updating in a long time. I am VERY picky about my writing, and when I read through this story and found pieces that I no longer wanted to have in it, I had to rewrite them. And that's what took me so long. So I hate to be annoying about it, but I did change some things in every chapter, whether they are noticeable to others or not. That is why I am re-uploading the first three chapters. My apologies again for taking so long, and I hope that you enjoy this story. Thank you for being patient!

Also, if you notice formatting errors, it is because FanFiction dot net is finicky about that, and I didn't nitpick it a lot this time.

— — —

—Key Saga—

Forest Folly

Spencers13 (Lacey G) © June 9, 2003–2005 / Revised 2006—Revised 2009-2010

PG-13 (Language, Violence) / Angst; Drama

"Goodbye Blue Sky" lyrics from the album "The Wall" © _Pink Floyd_ 1979 / "Alone I Break" lyrics from the album "Untouchables" © _KoRn_ 2002

TimeBase : Key Saga circa August, 1995; Episode 04

— — —

**Chapter Four – Profile Of A Killer**

Rain poured all through the next day, forcing Kyle and Endri to stay put in their warm, dry tent made for roughly four people. They barely spoke a few broken sentences to each other the entire day, keeping off to themselves as much as possible.

Endri sat around mostly, thumbing through a technical magazine he found while rummaging in one of their duffel bags. Anything to keep himself busy. Kyle, on the other hand, sat off to the side on his red sleeping bag, brooding. He seemed to be intensely concentrating on his thoughts all day, barely even moving. The overcast skies and pouring rain outside seemed to reflect his mood well.

Endri checked the human's shoulder only once the entire day since they hadn't traveled and barely even moved in the confines of the tent.

Around six o'clock in the evening, the rain finally stopped, but it was far too late and sloppy outside to do any decent traveling. So, much to Kyle's protest, they stayed on, waiting out the rest of the day to leave early in the morning.

Finally, not being able to take being cooped up with a man who despised his presence, Endri left the tent for a while. He needed the fresh air, and very much liked being outside just after a storm. The scents that drifted on errant breezes made him feel energetic and…alive…if that could be the right term. He forced Kyle to remain inside and relax while he was gone, and after a harsh yelling, the man begrudgingly complied.

I I I I I

The sounds of cracking and popping outside drew Kyle's attention toward the zipped entrance of the tent. It had been about an hour since his former partner left, and he was curious as to what the blonde was doing out there. It sounded like Endri had made a fire.

Quietly, Kyle maneuvered to the door and unzipped it to peek out. Endri sat with his back to the tent, a small fire blazing before him with something suspended on sticks above. It looked like cooking meat.

Making as little sound as possible, the human limp-crawled out and sat a few feet away from the ghost but still close to the warming flames. His presence was never even acknowledged as the blonde reached out to turn the meat on the makeshift spit.

Kyle cleared his throat after long minutes of silence drifted by. "What is that?"

"Dinner," was all Endri replied. He did his best to not threaten with his tone. He just got to relax, and the last thing he needed right then was another fight.

"Dinner? What is it?" the human asked, tilting his head and leaning closer to get a better look. He behaved like a curious little boy.

"Rabbit."

Kyle sat back again, the boyishness slipping from his demeanor. "You caught a rabbit? When?"

Vaguely, Endri pointed off to the side, indicating the surrounding woods. "Over there…a little while ago." He leaned forward and poked his finger into the bloody meat to test it's doneness, then licked the digit off when he found it wasn't quite ready.

Kyle grimaced at the sight. "Ugh…you're disgusting! You must love blood or something."

Endri shrugged. "I don't hate the taste, I suppose."

"No wonder you don't mind licking my shoulder out. You're probably just eating the blood out of it."

Endri rolled his eyes behind his shades, thinking, '_Here we go again._' "That's right, Kyle. The only reason I'm helping you is to suck up your blood," he mumbled, deadpan.

"I wouldn't doubt it, knowing you. Or should I say **not** knowing you," Kyle went on, seemingly in the mood to provoke.

"Must we go through this again?"

"Until I get my questions answered, yes."

"Why do you want to know about me so badly? What is so fascinating about me?" Endri wondered, looking over finally.

Kyle frowned. "I just want to know the profile of a cold-blooded killer."

Grunting, the ghost went back to rotate the spit. "So now I'm a cold-blooded killer hm? Wow, Kyle, you really have me down pat. I don't **need** to tell you anything. You're doing well enough on your own."

"Enough," the human spat. "Why did you do it?"

Endri sighed, feeling his energy draining. He was so tired of fighting. "Do what?"

"You did it, didn't you? You killed them."

Frowning, the ghost turned the spit again. "I dislike guessing games, Kyle. Just tell me what I did already."

"You killed them, didn't you? **You're** the one who murdered my family!" Kyle shrieked, fisting his hands and sitting up to his knees, ready for anything.

Endri darted his head to look over, eyes wide beneath his glasses. "What?"

Snarling, the human crouched just a little, his entire body tensed, ready to spring. Pain rocketed through his shoulder and down his arm and side, but he ignored it as best he could, only the sweat gathering on his forehead gave an indication of how much he hurt. "Think I'd never find out huh? Well, you guessed wrong. I'm not that naïve."

"What makes you think **I** killed them?" the ghost wondered genuinely.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Kyle growled lowly. "My wife and daughter—murdered by a 'ghost creature'. Then, not a year later, just enough time for me to fall to pieces, **you** show up. A stranger who just 'happened' to be passing through town and got wind of my predicament. First, you pretend to believe me, then you convince me about all your fantasy stories of revenge and all that, getting me to come along with you on your insane adventures. What, did you murder my family and somehow make me think it was a ghost, and now you're trying to see how it affects me until you bump me off too? Did you kill them so you could easily sway me into coming along with you, so the 'smartest guy in America' could find what you're looking for for you? Or am I just some kind of amusement for your sick little mind?"

Endri stared for a moment, awestruck, before looking away, seething. "Well…do you feel better now that you have someone to point your finger at?"

Kyle fumed. "You vicious bastard; how could you? You admit it!"

Whirling back, the blonde snarled, exposing his teeth. "I admit nothing! I've never even seen your family, let alone killed them! You're just cooking up elaborate theories, looking for someone to blame. Well, it isn't me!"

"I've been thinking about this all day! You had to've done it! It's the only thing that makes sense!" Kyle screamed, lifting his fists to chest level and squeezing his eyes tight. It hurt…it hurt so badly! Endri had to have killed them, he **had** to have! To think, he had been partners for three years with the man who killed his family…it hurt so badly—so much more than the pain from his shoulder at the moment.

Jumping to his knees, Endri reached over and grabbed the human by his upper arms tightly. He jerked the man over to himself and held him a forearm's length away, ignoring Kyle's hiss of pain and the gritting of his teeth. "How dare you!" he shouted gutturally, giving the man a jarring shake. "How dare you even consider I do such a thing to you and your family! You know better! I can't believe how much of a fool you're behaving these last few days. Yelling at me childishly, running off and getting yourself hurt, cursing me and my name for every single one of your problems! Why can't you get it through your thick skull that I'm not to blame!"

The pain searing through Kyle's shoulder paralleled the pain in his heart, and his face showed that. His grit teeth cricked from the pressure and the rims of his eyes turned red, ready to shed tears. "I don't..." he moaned softly, swallowing with difficulty, "I'm so..." He couldn't finish. With a lump in his throat, he hung his head in shame.

Just as quick as he was to jump to conclusions, he also would relent just as quickly.

Kyle knew deep down that Endri had nothing to do with his family's deaths. And he knew that blaming the man wasn't right. In fact, he did regret that line of thought. But what weighed heaviest on his mind was his confusion on the whole matter. Did it really happen? It must have for his wife and daughter to be dead now. Was the thing that killed them really real? It must have been for it to have been able to kill his family. What was it really? Was it a ghost? Was it some kind of earthly monster? Where was it now? Was it really in the Neitherworld?

"I'm just...I'm so confused," he managed out finally, voicing his torment. "I-I don't know what's going on anymore. I feel like...I'm just sitting back and watching my life...and not controlling anything. Ever since I lost my girls...it feels like I've been fighting to stay awake...and barely comprehending what was happening around me. I lost everything when I lost them. Everything. S-Sometimes I think that I died with them...and that **I'm** a ghost...wandering forever in search of something to make my existence meaningful again."

Endri sighed softly and released the tension in his arms, reflexively releasing his death grip on his partner in the process. He watched the man curl into himself and fight for control. What could he possibly say to him? The guy seemed lost and alone, drifting from the beaten path. Kyle's self-hatred seemed unfathomable...and misdirected. He wondered why all of this was being bought up now—several years after the incident.

Quietly, Endri leaned off to the side and plucked a few blooming flowers he had noticed earlier. Their name escaped him, but they had a rich fragrance. Reaching around his partner's back, he pulled the man toward himself slightly and teased the flowers under his nose. Kyle grumbled a bit, but looked up, curious.

"I could probably come up with some metaphor about how human lives are like flowers, but...I won't waste your time."

A light smirk drifted over Kyle's lips, his eyes remaining on the blooms.

"They're just...pretty. Right?"

He nodded lazily.

"This world...is pretty harsh—unforgiving. Sometimes, I think that I'm just a wandering soul myself. That everything is crashing down all around me, and I have no control." Endri sighed and twirled the flowers a little. "But that's when I just stop and take a breath...open my eyes and see the world around me...appreciate what this world gives us...and I feel better. I remind myself that my existence has meaning...otherwise, I wouldn't be here at all." He glanced over at his friend. "And the same goes for you."

Kyle looked up at him, his expression a bit blank, but interested.

"Everyone's existence has some sort of meaning, or they wouldn't even exist. But sometimes people lose their purpose. You need to find yours again. But unfortunately, I can't really help with that." The ghost took one more sniff of the flowers before tossing them into the fire. He heard Kyle's utterance of shock, but didn't pay it any mind. "This world is harsh," he reiterated. "Nothing lasts forever. So in order to keep myself going, I have to find ways to deal with pain, loss, and sadness. My ways, however, should not be yours. We've been through that before. My course of action is to pack it away...yours is more to cry it out. And I've said before that that is fine. It's healthy. But aside that, I really think you should consider your purpose in life. Find out why you're here...why that creature left you alive...what you need to do now with the life that you had been spared. All I will say..." he turned and locked dark shades with Kyle's blue eyes, "is that I need your help finding these keys. No one else but you is good enough for that job. And I'd rather not wait as long as I had for you, to find someone else." He turned away and directed his attention back to his roasting rabbit carcass. "I just thought you should know." With that, he reached out and tore off a hunk of meat and chewed on it. "Mmm…want some?" he asked around the mouthful.

"I'd rather not," Kyle finally spoke, his voice mumbled and his nose curling up. Endri's words had done much to calm him, and that was irritating. He didn't want the guy to make him feel better, even though he knew that was a lie. And that was even more frustrating. So in order to save a little face after that recent outburst of false accusation, he chose to keep tight-lipped and show only indignation for his partner.

Endri continued to eat, oblivious to any inward thoughts of his companion. "I have just one question, if I may, and then I'll leave you alone."

"What's that?"

There was a moment of hesitation, and then, "Why...is all of this being brought up now?"

"All of what?" Kyle asked drolly, not really in the mood to converse anymore.

"...Your family..."

A sense of sadness drifted over the man's visage, and his head hung slightly. "Look...I'm sorry about that. It's just...I've been...lately..." His words failed him and so did his thoughts.

"Is it the whole, 'I never listen to you' business?" Endri tried, unable to keep the indignation from his voice.

"No," his partner grumbled, brows pulling together. "It's...the anniversary."

The ghost fell silent for a moment, pondering what anniversary Kyle was talking about. And then it clicked. "I see. Remembering them must be painful. Especially on the day they died."

"Oh, don't even pretend you understand, you jackass!" Kyle blurted. It wasn't what Endri said, exactly, that angered the white-haired man. It was the plain, unfeeling tone to his voice that really got his back up. Of course, now that Kyle was yelling again, it only served to irritate Endri too.

"So you think I never suffered a loss in my life? You think I don't know what it's like? Well, you don't know how wrong you are. I **do** understand how hurt, lost, and alone you must be feeling, even now, years after it happened. My only concern is that you stop accusing me and drop all this bull you keep spewing!"

"I already told you I was sorry for that!"

"No, I'm talking about all this bickering and fighting lately. Your whole 'I hate you because you don't care about me' business. It really needs to stop."

"My yelling at you this evening because of my family has nothing to do with our previous fights, blondie! I'm still pissed at you from before, don't even get me wrong! The only thing I'm apologizing for is for accusing you of killing them. That's it. Everything else is still ongoing."

Endri rolled his eyes behind his dark glasses. "And here I was thinking you were starting to make sense again."

"Grrr!" Kyle growled, the sound melding into a low rumble that rolled across the twilit skies.

The blonde turned his gaze upward and grunted. "It's going to rain again. You should get back inside," he ordered, the emotion gone his tone.

"So what? You're just gonna stay out here?" Kyle muttered sarcastically.

The ghost ate another bite of his roasted rabbit. "None of your business. Now go back inside. You shouldn't have even come out here."

Kyle squirmed to get up and turned back to the tent. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." Before the human could disappear into the tent, however, he turned in the doorway, asking, "When will you be back in?"

"Why should you care?" the ghost wondered, quirking a blonde brow but not turning.

The human smirked at the blonde's back. "So I know how much time I have left to savor your absence."

Endri frowned. "I'll be in…later."

Huffing, Kyle spun and entered the tent, roughly zipping it closed behind him.

About twenty minutes later, the rain started up again, pelting the tent and ground outside with its constant patter. Kyle looked up to the ceiling in surprise, realizing his former partner had been correct again. What a unique talent to be able to predict the weather like that.

The human stole a look at the tent door, wondering when Endri would unzip it and enter to escape the elements. He stared at the closed flaps for a while before becoming fed up. Why should he care when that jerk came in? If he wanted to stay out there and get rained on while eating nasty, bloody meat, let him.

With that thought, Kyle carefully laid down to his back and forced himself to sleep.

I I I I I

Hours ticked away in what felt like moments, and Kyle woke with a loud crack of thunder that rumbled down through his being, leaving chills in its wake. After coming to his senses, he rolled his head to the side, looking to the space where Endri should have been. It was pitch black inside that stuffy tent, and he could barely see, but it didn't seem like anyone was there. Just in case, he whispered into the blackness.

"_Endri?_" He paused, waiting for some sort of answer. The only thing he was rewarded with was the constant droning spatter of rain on the tent roof. "_Hey…Endri._" Again, he waited for a reply, but received none. "_You in here?_"

A particularly loud boom of thunder made him jump then hiss in pain, holding a hand to his shoulder. Slowly, he sat up and looked around, feeling with his hand since his eyesight failed him. He found the battery lantern nearby and turned it on, wincing when the sudden brightness stung his eyes. When they finally adjusted, he looked over and saw that Endri truly was not there.

Kyle sat for a while without moving, listening to the storm rage outside. It was even more powerful than the first one. The tent walls flapped in the strong winds and jiggled with huge droplets of rain as it pounded down from the heavens.

The man swallowed with nerves.

'_I shouldn't care about his stupid ass. If he wants to get drenched and sick, let him. It's no concern of mine._' He moved to switch the lantern off and go back to sleep when a thought struck him. '_Wait…if he gets sick…he won't be able to get me help as quickly…and I could suffer from his stupidity!_' Kyle frowned.'_That stupid jackass! What's he doing out there?_'

Jerkily, he pulled himself out of the sleeping bag and hobbled on his knees over to the tent flap, unzipping it halfway and peeking out. Endri was right out there where he had been hours before, lying on the ground on his side, facing away from the tent. He was curled up and getting rained on mercilessly. The fire had long since been drowned out.

Kyle's eyes widened, not sure what to think. It looked like the drenched blonde was dead. Swallowing, he called out, "Endri?"

Lightning flashed and crackling thunder followed immediately, lighting up the inert body for a split second. He never moved.

"Endri!" Groaning, the blonde jerked, and Kyle couldn't help feeling relieved for some odd reason. "Endri, get in here, you stupid ass! What the hell're you doing?" he shouted.

The ghost lethargically rolled onto his back and faced the sky, still wearing his sunglasses and all his clothes save his coat—which was still inside the tent.

"Get in here!" Kyle yelled again, unzipping the flap the rest of the way and pulling it aside to allow Endri passage.

Slowly, the guy got to his knees and crawled into the tent, soaked to the bone and dripping from every area of his body. His long hair hung limply in his eyes, the blonde strands sticking to his face, neck, shoulders, and back. Hunching into the corner near the door, he propped his arms to his knees, head hanging to let his hair cover his face and drip into his curled up lap.

Kyle zipped the tent closed, shutting them off from the elements. "I can't believe you. How stupid can one man be? What were you thinking?"

Endri's raspy voice grumbled from behind his wall of hair. "Why should you care?"

The man blinked at the desolation in the blonde's voice. Even though he had never heard such a tone from him before, Kyle chose to ignore it and prod harder, wondering what other emotion he could coax from his former partner. "'Cause! If you get sick, **I** might not get help in time."

"Of course. How thoughtless of me. I should have been thinking of **your** needs," Endri's hollow voice mumbled. He hadn't moved and wasn't really planning to for that matter. He never even wanted to wake up and come in from the rain, but something made him get up…besides the annoying voice of his partner.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Kyle hissed, frowning.

"Nothing."

Ignoring it for now, the man ordered, "Get out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold."

Still, Endri remained motionless. "Leave me alone," he grumbled hollowly, the events leading up until that moment beginning to take their final toll. He was exhausted, wet, and grumpy. If that human said one more thing to him…

Kyle huffed. "Endri, take 'em—"

"I said leave me alone!" the ghost shouted, at last looking up through his limp, wet hair, and at last reaching the end of his long line. Only a few sections of his glasses were visible through the clumping locks. "Stop pretending you care what happens to me! You care nothing for me, just like everyone else that had ever touched my life! You said before how I was like everyone else to you…well, **you**are like everyone else to **me**!"

Kyle blinked. "What the hell're you talking about? Where did this come from?"

"Where do you think?"

Kyle huffed in irritation and looked away, reaching up to carefully hold his injured arm. Where did he think it came from? How rude and inconsiderate! It came from Endri treating him like nothing, that's where! And he was so, so tired of feeling like he was nothing in his ex-partner's eyes. "Endri…you're really pissin' me off. But, of course, that's just like you. The stoic prick strikes again."

"Enough!"

Kyle started at the raised voice, tilting back just a little.

"I've had enough of you calling me those names. I've been taking your nonstop hatred for three days now, and I'm sick of it! How do you think it makes me feel?"

"How you think **I **feel? Huh? Like I'm hurting non-stop inside from all this loneliness that won't ever go away. You're the only person I have now, Endri…the only person I have to talk to and spend time with…and all I get from you is a cold shoulder and indignation! You don't seem to understand how lost and alone I am. My entire family is gone. All of my friends have left my side because they think I'm a murderer. Because of that reputation, I couldn't get a decent job in any of the fields I'm qualified for to save my life! I have absolutely **nothing**. Nothing but **you**." He grunted a humorless chuckle. "Not that you're all that spectacular."

A quiet hiss left through Endri's clenched teeth. He had remained quiet while his companion spoke, but that didn't mean he was any less angry. "Well, let me tell you a little something. All I get from youis your hatred, loathing, and disrespect. You're constantly cutting me down, blaming me for all of the problems in your life—your injury, your feelings of inadequacy, your family's deaths. I may be the cause of a few of your current problems, but I'm telling you that a line must be drawn between the crap I **do **do to you, and the things that you're just taking out on me. Don't you know that it hurts me as well? All your constant anger and distasteful words? You're hurting me, just as much as I'm apparently hurting you!" He growled in anger and frustration, fisting his hands and trying for all his worth not to punch out at the tent walls. He would only cave it in upon them.

Taking a breath, Endri forced some calm into his next words. "This isn't working. We can't keep going on like this. All I'm doing is hurting you, and you are hurting me." He paused a moment, chewing on the inside of his mouth. "We can't keep doing this. As soon as the rain lets up enough, I'm hauling your ass back to town, and then I'm leaving for good. I'm sick of this bull. It's not worth it."

"**I'm **not worth it—is that what you're saying?" Kyle shouted suddenly, quickly taking offense. "You are, aren't you? I'm not good enough; I'm not worth your time; I'm just a piece of crap to you!"

"ARRGH!" Endri growled, turning and leaping upon him, grabbing him by both arms and slamming him down onto the red sleeping bag. Kyle screamed, overcome with pain and fear.

"Don't kill me! AUGH!"

"Give me one good reason not to, you stubborn ass!" the ghost yelled, beyond frustrated. He pinned the man down, putting pressure on his injured shoulder, feeling a sick satisfaction when Kyle screamed in pain again. "I'm sick of you not cutting me any slack, of always jumping to conclusions! I'm not to blame for every single one of your problems, do you hear?"

Tears slipped out from Kyle's tightly squeezed eyes, dripping down into his ears and the silken sleeping bag below. Sighing at the sight, Endri forced calm upon himself and released his bruising grip on the man, watching as he curled up into himself and rolled to one side, cupping his shoulder and crying harder. He knew he had hurt the guy physically as well as mentally…but seeing him so broken and frightened…that was never his intention. Damn his anger.

Carefully, Endri reached down and pushed his fingers through white hair, trying to offer…something. Kyle recoiled weakly, reaching up to push the hand away.

"Kyle…"

"D-Don't bother…"

The ghost sighed softly. "Kyle…"

"I thought I was im-important to you."

"...You are."

Kyle hiccupped through a sob and moaned in pain when it hurt his shoulder further. "N-Not if you keep hurting me so much! Not if you keep-keep yelling at me and a-and makin' me feel worthless!" He covered his eyes with a hand, feebly trying to hide himself from his emotionless former partner. But what he **still **wouldn't give to have that blonde-headed bastard pick him up and hold him and tell him things were going to be all right. Damn it all! Why did it keep coming back to that? Why did he **still **want that from Endri? The jerk had humiliated him, hurt him, pushed him down, yelled at him, and made him cry. Why in hell would he **still **want the bastard to bring him comfort? It made no sense—no sense!

Kyle wanted Endri's support—no! No he didn't! The guy was a complete waste of oxygen, not worthy to put his arms around the white and grey-haired man to hug and…give warmth…and comfort…that sounded so nice. Wait, what was he thinking? "Ah…argh…"

Endri looked back down at his companion at hearing the low grunt, having faced away with self-disgust a moment ago. Was he still in pain? Of course he was, but…that grunt sounded different that time.

Why did everything have to be so complicated, Kyle wondered as he laid, curled up on his sleeping bag, continuing to cry and lament. Why did a jerk like Endri have to be the only person in the entire world that he was even remotely close to? And the term "close" was only meant in a physical standpoint. Endri was rude and obnoxious and arrogant and strong and wise and…probably…gentle. GAH! No! "Guh-uh…"

The ghost turned and knelt next to his former partner in concern. The man had begun trembling a moment ago, and the longer time passed, the worse he became. Sweat dampened his white hair, making it wilt and fall limply around his head. His breathing had picked up considerably as well. But even still, Endri hesitated to try to help…if he even could anymore.

Warm arms…warm, gentle, strong arms…Kyle bet they could provide such comfort. If only…if only they would just reach out…if only they would wrap around him… Desperation grew inside his chest, pounding painfully against his ribcage. Just once…just once to have them hold and comfort him…just once.

Kyle was starved. He was so ravenously starved for peace and comfort. He had only tasted a small bit of it when Endri hugged him a few times after Moorlan died, but after that he was left out in the cold and hungry once again. To just have one small taste of that comfort again…to know that someone gave the slightest damn about him at all… He needed it! Kyle needed that so desperately, so starkly, desired it with such utter need that it swelled within his chest and kicked out with crushing force, searching for release.

"Ah! Ahh! Guh-hurn!" Kyle shouted, clutching his chest with a badly shaking hand. His limbs twitched and trembled involuntarily and the sweat now dampened his clothes and the sleeping bag below him. He inhaled sharply but failed to exhale, the breath caught in his chest where that desperate, fighting need to find comfort spun and twisted his guts into knots.

Worried, Endri finally reached down and touched along Kyle's neck, feeling for the pulse there. When he met it, it was irregular but strong, almost as if the man's heart was pounding extra hard, so hard that it skipped beats. "Dammit," he cursed softly, thinking it must have been the pain that caused such reactions in his companion. "Breathe, Kyle…come on, breathe!"

The man failed miserably to comply.

"Breathe, please! Don't do this now, you idiot!"

Kyle could only stare at him with wide, tearful eyes, his mouth hanging open, desperate but unable to catch air.

Endri frowned. This wasn't from the man's shoulder pain at all. This was something else…something Kyle had told him about a long time ago, after they first met. What was it again? If driven to the point of emotional overload, he would have a heart attack? No, he hadn't called it that, he called it something else.… A…failure. A heart failure. Was that what was happening now? Endri had never seen Kyle suffer from one of his "failures" before, so he had no idea what to do or expect. Damn! Why did they have to be so far from town?

Slowly, the skin of Kyle's face turned from bright red to a sickly purple and even though he began gasping for air again, he still clutched at his chest and groaned in pain, writhing and twitching.

"Kyle," Endri tried asking, "what's wrong? How…how can I help you?"

The man shook his head of wet white hair, eyes rolling up slightly but forced to come back and find some focus. "S…suh…f…fai…l…"

"A 'failure', I realize that now. But how can I help you?"

He licked his lips and shivered violently as though cold, growling in pain and tensing his body. "No…h-help…from you…" he managed to cough out.

"Why not? You bitch and moan about wanting me to help you for so long, and now you refuse me when I offer it? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Ah! AHH!" Kyle screamed, his back arching off the sleeping bag, fingers fisted into his shirt so tight one button popped off.

"Idiot!" Endri growled, slipping one arm under the man's arched back and lifting him up. He cupped Kyle's face with his free hand and forced the human to look at him. "This is emotion-driven, right? You're so upset, your heart is failing to function?" The man only moaned in response, gritting his teeth. "Then just calm down because…because everything is all right now," he tried. "I may be an ass to you much of the time, but…I never want to or meant to hurt you. You're still my partner to me. I don't hate you or want to cause you undue stress or heartache. I just…I want…" he sighed, unable, once again, to get his point across. Instead, he drew his companion against his soaking wet chest, cradling him there firmly but gently, minding his injured shoulder. It was all he could think to do. A failing heart was something he couldn't really treat. Give him a knife wound or a sprained ankle any day, but injuries that were emotionally driven? He was at a total loss. So he just held onto his partner securely, hoping something would turn the tides of the man's pain and discomfort…praying he wouldn't soon be holding a dead man.

Through Kyle's trembling and painfully thudding heart, he felt a warmth rise about his body. It was gentle. It was comforting. It soothed away the tears and pain. And slowly, it reawakened his senses one at a time.

Arms? Strong, gentle arms? Holding him? Dare he dream it be true? Was it really happening?

"It's all right now, Kyle," he heard the voice of his blonde companion say softly near his ear. "Everything will be all right now."

His pounding heart calming and slowly falling back into rhythm, Kyle fell limp against the ghost's chest and sobbed brokenly, his strength and emotions drained. Endri held him and tried his best to be soothing, not knowing if he was even doing it correctly. But he tried. He tried for his friend…at least the man he only recently realized was his friend.

"_I'm sorry…_"he whispered into damp white hair, "_I'm sorry I pushed you so far._"

Kyle whimpered with residual pain shivering strongly one more time, nearly chattering Endri's teeth as well. Afterward, he let loose his death grip on his shirt and instead reached up to hold onto the ghost's soaking shirt, his fingers grating against the wet material. He clung tightly, making his intentions to not let go anytime soon abundantly clear. His breaths remained staggered and heavy as he cried out his stress and heartache, burying his face into his companion's neck. Words failed to make it past his lips, but it didn't matter all too much as he wasn't in a talking mood.

Endri sat for a while, allowing Kyle to cry against his neck, patting him on the back when he felt it appropriate. The whole situation was awkward for him, he not being used to consoling people all that often. But he kept trying, feeling he at least owed it to his friend. Thankfully, it seemed as though the human would be all right, indicated by the slower and more regular heartbeat he felt when he reached up to press his fingers into the man's throat. That was a relief.

Wait a minute. Kyle was abnormally close to Endri's body right then, face in his neck and hand fisted into his shirt over his chest. That concerned him greatly. If the man lingered too long in the right areas, his status as a ghost could be given away! Kyle would be able to feel no pulse if he calmed down enough to notice something was off. That was a situation Endri could not afford. So, reluctantly, he pressed the human away from himself, trying to get him to lay back down.

Immediately, Kyle struggled, screaming as though a great horror was befalling him. "**No!**" He threw Endri's hands off of himself and dove back in to cling to his chest, ear pressed right over the dead man's silent heart.

Grunting in irritation, Endri pushed him away again, this time with more force, holding him back from latching on again.

"Please, please!" the desperate man begged, tears returning to his face. He fought against the ghost's strong grip, unable to overcome the hands holding him away…away from his comfort and warmth…away from the only thing that could make him happy in that moment of time. "Don't take it away!" he cried, voice hoarse and laden with sorrow.

"I'm sorry," Endri told him softly, hating to do that to his friend, but unable to afford the consequences of being discovered. He pressed Kyle down to the sleeping bag and held him there for a while until he stopped struggling, staring into his desolated face, watching it crumple with emotional pain. The man cried hard and loud, tried to hide his face, tried to reach up and hug Endri, only to be held down harder. And all of it hurt the ghost to see—hurt him even more that he was causing his friend so much more anguish than he needed or intended.

When the situation reached a point where Endri was sure Kyle wouldn't try to come after him should he let go, he pulled away and headed straight for the tent flap, zipping it open.

"D-Don't go! Please! Please don't!" Kyle moaned loudly, sitting up and wrapping his arms around his own chest.

Pausing at the tent's entrance, Endri sighed softly and hung his head. He so hated the current situation. He hated causing pain to his friend, hated the sound of sorrow and tears in his voice. But…there was nothing he could do to stop it. "I'm sorry," was all he mumbled before exiting and zipping the tent closed behind him.

He heard a broken wail of despair emanate from within and the sound he took as a body falling limply to plush satin. And then a scream that tore him to the very foundation of his being.

"**You're killing me!**"

Unable to handle it, Endri stood in the pouring rain and took off into the woods, slowing to a stop only when the sounds of heart-wrenching wailing could no longer be heard. Anger poured through his veins making his body hotter and teeth clench and hands fist tightly. Damn it. **Damn **it! Why did things have to be so complicated? Why did every decision he make end up hurting his friend? Endri hated himself with a passion—hated that he was a ghost, hated that everything always fell back to that simple fact, hated that that fact was what kept him away from the things he so cared for.

Out of frustration, Endri opened his mouth and screamed to the rumbling skies, letting the heavy rain pummel his skin but not wash him clean. He felt so filthy.

"**Odin!**"he bellowed, raising a fist into the air. "You bastard! Why did you leave me stranded here in this hellhole? Why didn't you send your Valkyries for **me**? Was it because I died a helpless baby? Or just because I went with no sword in my hand? **Tell me!**"

Thunder rolled down at him, and he cursed his old Norse gods, not having believed in them for hundreds of years. He just wanted to blame them, blame the psycho that killed him, blame the forest, anything…but it all just fell right back to himself. He couldn't really blame anyone but himself for what he was now.

Growling, he turned and sent his fist into the nearest tree, chunking off bark and a few layers of wood underneath. Splinters dug into his flesh, but he ignored them and the pain, welcomed it even, as if it was some kind of retribution for hurting Kyle.

What could he do? How could he right such an awful wrong? How could he heal their partnership? Was it all lost? Was it rotten from the inside out, in need of being discarded? He didn't want that. He didn't want to abandon his friend or their partnership. He needed Kyle's help desperately to find the Worm Gate Keys, for without his technical expertise, Endri would not even know where to look for them. So how could he save everything? And how could he save Kyle now that he had been injured…and now that his emotions were a jumbled wreck…no thanks to him.

Saddened, Endri sank to the forest floor and leaned back against the tree he had previously battered. How? How could he fix things?


	5. Chapter 5 : Alone I Break

—Key Saga—

Forest Folly

Spencers13 (Lacey G) © June 9, 2003–2005 / Revised 2006—Revised 2009-2010

PG-13 (Language, Violence) / Angst; Drama

"Goodbye Blue Sky" lyrics from the album "The Wall" © _Pink Floyd_ 1979 / "Alone I Break" lyrics from the album "Untouchables" © _KoRn_ 2002

TimeBase : Key Saga circa August, 1995; Episode 04

— — —

**Chapter Five – Alone I Break**

The following morning, the rain ceased, leaving everything soggy and dripping. The atmosphere was foggy and thick through the trees, making it hard to see, but Endri slowly found his way back to the tent. He had not a wink of sleep as he sat under that tree, toiling for hours on how to repair the broken partnership between he and Kyle. And what was worse, he hadn't even come up with anything.

As silently as possible, he unzipped the entrance to the tent and peeked inside, finding Kyle curled up into a tight ball on top of his sleeping bag, shuddering every so often in his sleep from the morning chill.

Bracing himself, Endri crawled inside and set about packing up their belongings, getting ready to travel back to town. Eventually, he woke his friend with a gentle hand on his uninjured shoulder and told him with a soft voice to eat something before they left.

Surprisingly, Kyle simply obeyed, albeit slowly with a sense of tired disinterest with his surroundings. Though, he did try to wipe at the dried tears on his cheeks.

The previous night was still fresh in his mind, and he grew more and more disgusted with himself as time passed. How could he have acted so desperate and clingy? With the most unemotional bastard in the world? Kyle was embarrassed and hated himself for stooping so low. He doubted he could ever live down that emotional bull he had spewed last night, vowing to try to forget everything that happened. And "try" was the keyword there.

Endri finished packing up a short while later and they set out, traveling for much of the day. The bumps and dips were much more painful for Kyle than the first day, and he certainly didn't want to but couldn't help digging his face into his companion's back and whimpering or crying out at times. The pain was getting to him, and finally, after much under-the-breath cursing, he could take no more.

"Augh! Stop, that's enough!" he shouted above the roar of the 4-wheeler's engine, just after they went over a bump the size of Mt. Everest.

Endri slowed the vehicle to a stop and cut the engine, knowing it would be hard to speak above the noise. "What is it?" he asked over his shoulder, only able to see fluffy white hair as the human's face was still buried in his back.

Kyle's right arm trembled around Endri's waist. "It's too much," he rasped, breathless from the pain. "I can't take anymore. I gotta stop for a while."

"Your shoulder hurts?"

"Y-Yeah…mmn…" Kyle moaned, finally lifting his forehead from the blonde's shoulder blade.

Dismounting with care, Endri stepped a few feet away, surveying their surroundings. Even though he wore dark glasses, he still shaded his eyes as he looked into the sky, getting the sun's position. "I suppose this is as good a place as any to stop for a while," he admitted, turning back. He wrapped his arm around his partner's back and moved to slide his other arm under his legs but stopped when the man hissed and squeezed his eyes tight.

"Ahss! Nnnn! No…no, just let me sit for a while."

Endri backed away slowly, dragging his hand along Kyle's back. Right away, he noticed the man wasn't shouting at him for making the contact. Come to think of it, the guy had barely raised his voice in anger the entire day. Perhaps he was still needing physical contact to help with his emotional upheaval?

Deciding to test his limits, the ghost reached up and cupped Kyle's cheek, turning it to face him. The man's countenance was contorted in pain even as Endri lifted both eyelids and checked the throbbing pulse on his neck. All the while, Kyle never said a word nor flinched away.

"Hmm…you **must** be in pain. You aren't yelling at me," the blonde observed, deciding to state the obvious.

"Hn…" his partner grunted in a laugh. "I usually have a high tolerance to pain, and an **in**tolerance to asses. But right now…I don't really care. I freakin' hurt." He hunched forward, cupping his wounded left shoulder and grimacing.

Endri frowned in concern, but dared not let Kyle see.

Panting still, the human mumbled, "Hey…you still gonna leave for good after you get me to town?"

Not answering right away, the ghost looked up and stared off into the trees past Kyle's head. "Yes."

"Good," came the responding raspy chuckle. "That thought brings me comfort."

His lips forming a thin line, Endri turned swiftly and began clearing the loose brush from the ground. "We'll just set up camp here. It's getting late in the day, and I don't feel like searching for another spot when this one is just fine. You're hurting too much to travel further anyway."

Kyle didn't argue for once, and a short while later, Endri had camp set up and the human resting inside the tent on his red sleeping bag. Again, the ghost checked the man's wound, lapping it clean with a gentle tongue. But no matter how tender he was, Kyle still cried out in pain and gripped tightly to his partner's arms with shaking hands.

The blonde re-wrapped the human's shoulder, still using strips from his own white T-shirt. The garment was beginning to get quite short, with only his strong pectoral muscles still covered. His abdomen remained exposed, showing off the tightly-packed muscles rarely seen by the world.

Endri tried to get Kyle to eat a little something, but the man refused, claiming having no appetite. The ghost settled for only making the man drink some water before laying a gentle hand to his unhurt shoulder.

"Rest, then. Regain your strength," he ordered quietly, helping Kyle into a horizontal position.

The man chuckled weakly, seeming paler than earlier in the day. "Yeah…right," his tired, weak voice mumbled.

Endri sat with him for a while, listening as his breathing evened out and watching as his body relaxed. When he finally thought it was all right, the ghost left the tent, zipping it closed.

I I I I I

Soft sounds of night underlying a strange noise from outside the tent roused Kyle from deep slumber. He laid in the darkness of the tent, realizing that night had fallen while he slept, and listened to the odd noises outside curiously. It sounded like speech.

Squirming up, he moved to the tent door, still zipped shut from a few hours earlier. A soft, flickering light danced off the nylon refuge, and Kyle realized Endri must have built another fire outside and was sitting by it, speaking to himself. The words were foreign—Icelandic—and Kyle couldn't understand what they meant, but he still tried to listen through the tent walls. Maybe he would hear something interesting. Besides, it wasn't often he caught that blonde jerk talking to himself.

Endri indeed sat outside by a fire, his back to the tent door, legs crossed beneath him and elbows propped to his knees. His long black coat was missing—a bit of a rare thing for him, especially with his white T-shirt torn so short now. His glasses sat perched on top of his head, held up by his long bangs, and he stared into the fire, his eyes, for once, unhindered by the dark things. It felt good to not look through them every once in a while, and besides, Kyle was sleeping inside the tent and wasn't about to come out anytime soon. The ghost felt he was safe enough to take them off.

His voice was soft as he spoke to himself in the language most comfortable to him, his first language, and the meaning of the words was only for him to know. "[—expected this to happen. I thought things were going well, then, suddenly, he hates me. Was I so blind that I never noticed his need of companionship? No…no, I noticed it. I was just too afraid to let him in. I couldn't…I **can't **afford to let slip my status. If he ever discovered that I am a ghost… I don't even want to think about it.

"[I'm his enemy…but he isn't mine. I don't understand.… I don't know how to fix things. I don't know where they went wrong. But were they ever right to begin with? I don't know. I wish things had not degraded between us. Now, I feel…lost…more lost than I have been for so long…I can't remember. All because of one person?… Kyle…]"

Inside the tent, Kyle frowned as he listened to his former partner speaking in another language outside. Endri just said something that sounded very much like his name.

'_Is he talking about me?_'

"[Did you not see I was enjoying my time with you?]" the ghost went on, gazing sadly into the fire, finally admitting to himself at least some of his own feelings. "[I was happy. Content. And you didn't see. I've never been more open with someone. Didn't you realize that? Didn't you see? True, I did close myself off to you after Moorlan died. But I had to. I couldn't bear the thought of becoming attached to you and then losing you like I had Moorlan. I didn't want to go through that yet again. I had to protect myself. But even still…I couldn't close everything off. But I'm sure to you, it wasn't noticeable. I showed concern for you, and you didn't see that either. Friendships are not my strong suit, they never have been—that much is obvious to you—but didn't you see that I considered you my friend? Over the many years and many people I've known, you're the only one who shines so brightly. You're the only one worthy of my friendship. Can't you see that?]" Endri sighed, his shoulders sagging all the more. He was utterly depressed.

"[Can't you see how your hatred hurts me? Every time those blue eyes of yours stare at me with hate burning in them, you slice another piece from my dead heart. I used to like looking at your eyes…blue is my favorite color…but now it only causes pain.

"[I've let myself slip…let my feelings go…but I can't seem to keep them in check around you, Kyle. Can't you see what you do to me? Open your eyes and look. But…you won't. You're closed to me. You don't see the pain you cause. Just like I refused to see the pain **I **caused. And now…we must part soon…and it's all my fault. I think I'll miss your unique hair and eyes the most. White snow drifts with clear, blue skies.]"

Silence issued through the night save the sounds of the forest creatures' croaking and chattering. Kyle wished he knew Icelandic, but he certainly didn't miss the sad tone to Endri's voice or the many repeated words, not to mention Moorlan's name. Apparently, whatever he was saying meant a great deal to him.

Kyle huffed. Since when did anything mean **anything** to Endri?

He sat still, listening to see if the man would say anything more and debated laying back down or going outside.

A new sound drifted into his ears from beyond the tent, and he had to stifle a gasp when he realized it was Endri's voice…raised in song!

_Ooooooo ooo ooo ooooh  
__Ooooooo ooo ooo ooooh  
__Did you see the frightened ones  
__Did you hear the falling bombs  
__Did you ever wonder  
__Why we had to run for shelter  
__When the promise of a brave new world  
__Unfurled beneath a clear blue sky?_

_Ooooooo ooo ooo ooooh  
__Ooooooo ooo ooo ooooh  
__Did you see the frightened ones  
__Did you hear the falling bombs  
__The flames are all long gone  
__But the pain lingers on  
__Goodbye, Blue Sky  
__Goodbye, Blue Sky  
__Goodbye  
__Goodbye_

Endri's voice faded into nothingness sadly, trailing off the last word to the song a few more times, driving the point home within himself.

"_Goodbye…_"

Kyle sat inside the tent in shocked disbelief. He had never heard his partner sing before. Actually, he didn't think it was possible for him to do only sat long enough to realize the guy wasn't coming in nor saying anything else before he unzipped the tent quietly.

Endri heard the zipper of the tent opening and quickly knocked his shades back down onto his nose, hiding his eyes once more. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the human crawl over and seat himself before the warming flames of the small fire.

Moving quietly, Kyle chose a spot a safe distance away from his old partner and sat down. He got comfortable, then lifted his right hand toward the fire, warming the palm and digits. The left arm, he cradled in his lap for warmth and security.

It was chilly that night, the atmosphere cooled from the previous rain.

He saw Endri reach down to his side and lift up a small pot capped with a lid. The blonde handed it over to Kyle, and the man took it hesitantly. After lifting the lid and waiting for the billow of steam to disperse, he saw that it was filled almost to the brim with cooked white rice.

"My dinner?" he asked, looking up. A fork was already extended toward him.

"Mm," the ghost grunted, not looking over.

Kyle smirked and took the fork, using it to dig in. He ate slowly, but definitely felt hungrier than before. One bite after another, he piled the plain-tasting rice into his mouth until almost half the pot had been eaten. At that point, he chose to speak up.

"I-uh…heard."

"Mm," was his only reply.

"But I don't know Icelandic, so…couldn't really understand ya," Kyle went on. He attempted to sound sarcastic, but with a mouthful of food, it was a little difficult.

"Mm-hmm."

Taking another bite, the human spoke through his food again. "Anyfing I shou'd know 'bout?"

Endri sat in silence for a moment before responding with, "Nothing worth repeating."

Kyle watched the ghost from the corner of his eye, noticing he never looked over as he grunted and mumbled his answers, only stared at the fire. With a light smirk, he realized that maybe Endri knew he heard him singing and felt embarrassed because of it. Time to call him out on it.

"I didn't know you could sing."

"Oh?"

Kyle's demeanor slumped just a little in disappointment. He was hoping for a better reaction than that. "Yeah. You-uh…never struck me as someone who could sing like that."

"Really?"

"Uh huh," the man uttered while taking more rice into his mouth. "You sound really good too. If you wanted, you could be famous with that voice."

"Could I?"

"Oh, yeah! I mean, a stud like you on TV and radio? You'd be an overnight hit, and the girls would break your door down." Wait a minute…was he **complimenting** Endri? Perhaps he should slack off on that.

"Would they?"

Kyle took another short moment to look over at his partner. The guy still hadn't moved, and his voice was hardly raised in question. He seemed either distracted or depressed, something Kyle hadn't seen in him since…well, since Moorland died. It reminded him of the previous night, when the blonde had first come back in from outside, and that made him uneasy.

'_Hmm…maybe I should get him to respond more. He seems kinda…edgy._' "Hey, Endri."

"Mm."

"Who did that song?" Kyle asked, trying to spark some kind of decent conversation and get the ghost's mind off of whatever it seemed to be brooding on.

"Pink Floyd," was the plain, straightforward answer.

He nodded his head of white hair. "Oh, yeah."

"Mm."

"Like I said, it sounded pretty good," Kyle mildly marveled.

Still, Endri didn't seem to be responding all that much, but the human could change that.

"Say, could you sing another one?"

"Why?"

"I wanna hear. See how good you are on the fly."

Endri sighed wearily and chose not to answer that time.

"Come-on! I know…" Kyle snickered to himself, coming up with the perfect way to get his companion to open up a little. "Sing a song you know that can tell me about how you're feeling right now. I'm sure everyone knows at least one song that reflects their feelings at any given moment."

"Right now? Sing a song about my…feelings?" Endri asked, shifting his feet nervously. He pulled them from their cross-legged position and sat with his legs bent up at the knees, arms propped over them.

Kyle smirked. Now he had him. All he had yet to do was seal the deal. "Yeah. I wanna hear. I actually don't mind listening to you sing. Go on…I'm all ears." He took another bite of rice to hide his growing smirk.

Endri squirmed in place, adjusting nervously. "I don't know."

The human swallowed his previous bite. "Oh, just go for it! I won't stop buggin' ya till you do anyway."

The ghost grunted, knowing Kyle was right. He **would** bother him endlessly until he got what he wanted. With a deep sigh, Endri relented. Anything to avoid another fight. And as long as the human seemed in higher spirits, he may as well play along. Perhaps it would smooth over the hard feelings between them. "Well…fine. Sing my feelings hm?"

Kyle smirked around another mouthful of rice. "Mm-hmm!"

For a long moment, Endri stared into the fire, seemingly gathering his thoughts and honing them to a fine point. Several times, he opened his mouth to start, but stopped, unsure again. After a few long minutes, he finally made up his mind, and his voice escaped his lips, soft and gentle. The tone was quiet, but made loud enough to hear, carrying off into the black of night beyond the firelight.

_Pick me up  
__Been bleeding too long  
__Right here, right now  
__I'll stop it somehow_

_I will make it go away  
__Can't be here no more  
__Seems this is the only way  
__I will soon be gone  
__These feelings will be gone_

Kyle chewed on a new bite slowly, listening carefully to the words. '_Oh, crap.…_'

Singing the next verse, Endri's tempo picked up just a little as he delved into the chorus of the song.

_Now I see the times they change  
__Leaving us, it seems so strange  
__I am hoping I can find  
__Where to leave my hurt behind  
__All the shit I seem to take  
__All alone I seem to break  
__I have lived the best I can  
__Does this make me not a man?_

Kyle sat in silence, his meal completely forgotten. Everything flowed together surprisingly well. But the meaning of those lyrics was not lost on him. He could hear the sadness, longing, and desperation...and worst of all...hopelessness.

'_He doesn't really want to part ways, but he's accepted that it's gonna happen_,' Kyle theorized. '_I don't think he knows where he'll go either. Man…this is so deep.… I didn't think Endri could be so deep and meaningful._'

The ghost sang on, his voice back to its slow, melancholy tone from when he began, slowly picking up as he hit the fourth verse. It seemed he was oblivious to his surroundings.

_Shut me off  
__I'm ready  
__Heart stops  
__I stand alone  
__Can't be my own_

_I will make it go away  
__Can't be here no more  
__Seems this is the only way  
__I will soon be gone  
__These feelings will be gone_

'_He's not singing about what I think he is, is he? Not over something like __**this**__!_'

Endri just went on, unaware of Kyle's suddenly concerned thoughts. He went back to the chorus, his tempo picking up again. But when he delved into the break, his voice almost whispered from his lips as he stared into the dark night sky.

The stars did not shine, nor did the moon, perfectly accenting his crestfallen mood.

_Am I going to leave this place?  
__What is it I'm running from?  
__Is there nothing more to come?  
_

_Is it always black in space?  
__Am I going take its place?  
__Am I going to win this race?_

_I guess God's up in this place?  
__What is it that I've become?  
__Is there something more to come?_

'_He…he feels like there's nothing left for him!_' Kyle almost screamed inside his being. '_How can he? Not over something like __**this**__…over someone like __**me**__. I'm not anything to commit suicide over!_' He paused, listening to more of the deep lyrics.

'_It seems he's…confused. There's so much he wants to know, but he doesn't know the questions or even got answers to the questions he __**has**__ asked. This poor man is so tormented! I bet he is the way he is because he doesn't know how to be any other way._'

_Now I see the times they change  
__Leaving us, it seems so strange  
__I am hoping I can find  
__Where to leave my hurt behind  
__All the shit I seem to take  
__All alone I seem to break  
__I have lived the best I can  
__Does this make me not a man?_

The chorus died away with the last word, and Endri resumed staring at the fire as if he never even uttered a single sound.

Kyle gave him a few moments of respected silence before saying in a quiet, tremulous voice, "That…that was…whoa."

The ghost only shrugged at the compliment. He looked over at his partner, seeing the firelight reflected in wide, blue eyes. "You're genuinely amazed, aren't you?"

"Well, who wouldn't be?" the man wondered in shock. "Damn, that was just… I had no idea you could be so deep and meaningful. It was…it was touching."

"_Hn…touching,_" the ghost grunted to himself, his partner's praise lost on him. "I doubt that."

Kyle resigned to silence for a bit, watching as the blonde just sat and stared into the fire. He thought back to the revealing song, trying to analyze and pick it apart, as he was so adept to do, finding any deeper meanings he may have looked over before. The only thing that was screaming to be addressed was the overwhelming sadness the words conveyed. Sadness, loneliness, and an aching sense of having nothing left. Kyle didn't like the thought of Endri's time coming to an end, and even though it bugged him to feel that way, he directed his attention to his partner instead.

"You-uh…don't have to be so depressed, you know."

Endri jerked with a silent laugh, and his lips curled into an empty smirk. "And why shouldn't I be?"

"You just need some help," Kyle suggested nicely. "You need to talk to someone about your problems. And what's more, your past is in your past. It only makes you who you are, but you don't need to dwell on it. But it also doesn't mean you can't change yourself now. You aren't a slave to fate. You can change." His voice was soft, trying his hardest to be respectful and helpful.

"Change? Me? Kyle…remember who you're speaking to. Besides…I've already changed enough as it is."

The human frowned at Endri's stubbornness. "I know who I'm talking to, and I think you **need** to hear it."

With a sudden snarl, the ghost whipped his head to face Kyle, hair swinging outward with the motion. "I need to hear nothing! I don't need your advice or pity! I've made it this far on my own; I don't need your 'help' to get any further."

"But, Endri—" Kyle began in argument.

Endri stood straight, glaring down at his partner. "No! I've taken your mouth long enough! You've strived so much to make me your enemy, Kyle. So now, we are enemies. Just be glad I respect you enough to care whether you live or die, or I'd abandon you here and now!"

Thunder cracked and boomed overhead, startling both men. The rain dumped down an instant later, drenching everything it touched and quickly dousing the small fire to smoking cinders.

Angrily, Endri pointed to the tent, his entire body rigid and already dripping. "Get in there! Now! You should never have come out!"

Kyle squirmed back inside with the ghost close behind. He zipped up the door, cutting them off from the elements, then ran his hands over his hair and squeezed the water out before reaching down and pulling his boots off with angry, jerking movements. He threw them off to the side and let his eyes turn to Kyle, sitting dejectedly on his sleeping bag, half turned away. The poor man looked so pathetic, Endri's once angry heart softened and went out to him.

Slowly, he crawled over and sat directly before the white and grey-haired human. His pale, deft fingers undid one button at a time on Kyle's shirt, and the man just looked down at the deliberate motion, not moving or saying a word.

"You should get this off…it's wet," Endri told him, his voice quiet once again. Surprisingly gentle, he removed the man's shirt, every movement languid. He dropped the soaked garment off to the side, then placed a hand on Kyle's upper left arm, touching the damp skin and feeling it heat up just a little beneath his fingers.

"How is your shoulder?"

"It hurts," was the small-voiced response.

Kyle stared off to the side sadly. No one liked being yelled at that way or being made to feel like he was nothing more than a child—or nothing at all. His entire being sagged with depression. It was just like Endri to make him feel that way…again and again. Why had he expected anything to change?

Tenderly, the ghost rubbed his thumb over his partner's upper arm, the rest of the fingers on his hand wrapping around the slim appendage, holding it lightly. "Well…" he began, but his thought was lost just like that. So he continued to sit close and hold Kyle's arm, almost as if he could apologize for being so harsh just by making the skin to skin contact.

Kyle looked up into his face then, noting how close they were sitting. As he stared into his dull reflection in the blonde's glasses, a drop of rainwater dripped from his hair and onto his cheek, making him blink and flutter his lashes.

Endri stared into those big, blue eyes and reached up with a free hand to wipe the tear-like raindrop from the man's cheek with his thumb compassionately. That motion went unnoticed as Kyle reached up with a shaking right hand, lightly gripping Endri's glasses and tugging, not demanding but asking.

The ghost shook his head away from the pleading hand with a light twist. "_No, Kyle…_" he reprimanded with a quiet, whispering voice.

"_Please…_" the man begged in reply, his voice a mere exhaled breath.

"_I can't._"

"_Just once…it's dark enough in here._…_ Let me see…please._"

Endri tilted his head a bit to the side. "Why?" he asked, speaking just a little louder, but still with a quiet, soft tone.

"I…I want to know you," Kyle half whispered, looking off to the side and smirking to hold the blush back. "I guess…for as much as I don't like you…I'm still trying to be your friend. I guess I still haven't learned my lesson. I really am an idiot…just like you said so many times before." He looked back to see the reaction to his words.

Endri didn't move as he mulled that over. "'Don't like'? Not 'hate' anymore?"

Kyle shook his head. "To tell the truth…it's gettin' harder and harder to stay mad at you." He paused for a few seconds as he touched a lightly trembling hand to the ghost's massive biceps on his left arm.

Endri frowned behind his glasses. "Why?"

"'Cause I'm starting to learn more about you. I'm seeing more sides to you than the cold, emotionless one I'm used to. All you need is to open up to me. I'm not one to turn people away so quickly. You should know that by now." He searched the ghost's face for any reactions again. "I know you bottle things up and act tough and angry all the time. But I'm not afraid of you, Endri. I want to know more about you, in fact. I…I guess I kinda like bein' around you." A puff of air pushed from his lips in a breathy laugh. "Go figure."

Endri licked his lips, wetting them as they had gone dry. "You don't hate me?"

"That's a big deal to you, isn't it?" Kyle asked understandingly.

Letting his head turn to the side jerkily, the ghost mumbled, "…Yes."

Kyle blinked for a second, then quirked his head to the side slightly. "Why does everyone hate you? For the same reason I did?"

Endri dropped his gaze to the floor beside them. "No. It's something else."

"What is it?"

Shaking his head, the ghost looked back up. "I can't say. If you knew, you'd hate me even more than before. I would lose **all** of my chances to get…get you back."

Kyle sighed quietly. "Will you **ever** tell me?"

"Maybe someday…maybe," Endri replied, swallowing.

"I wish you weren't so secretive."

"Trust me. I have my reasons."

Kyle gazed silently into Endri's face. Again, he slowly reached up for his glasses, and again, the blonde pulled away.

"No, Kyle."

"Please, Endri," the human pleaded, leaning forward a bit. "Grant me this one thing."

"I-I…I can't," Endri stuttered, casting his gaze to the side.

Kyle cupped his pale cheek and pulled his face back. "_Why?_" he whispered with a deep implore.

Endri bit his bottom lip and faced away. "I…I don't want…to lose…"

"Me?" Kyle said for him, searching Endri's strong face with his eyes again to see any reaction to the presumptuous question. The ghost only swallowed, his breath escaping shallowly. "Why do you think you'd lose me? You won't, I promise."

"You can't promise something like that," Endri grumbled, trying to turn away, but Kyle's hand still held his cheek securely. And he didn't have the willpower to fight against that warm touch, something he rarely had the luxury to experience.

"Well, how will you know how I'll react unless you show me?" the man pointed out smugly.

Endri's mouth moved, but words escaped him.

"You don't. Take a chance, Endri. Maybe you won't be disappointed this time. Besides, what's so scary about your eyes? That they maybe look different or something because of your light sensitivity? They deformed or something like that? You should know by now that things like that don't bother me. _Please…let me just peek.…_" he whispered.

"Rrgh…why can't you just drop it, Bennington," the blonde growled, eyebrows pulling down into a stony frown.

Kyle pulled away again, anger suddenly sparking in his blue eyes. "Why can't you just **trust** me?"

"Why can't **you** trust **me**? Why must you endlessly badger me about things that I don't want to do or talk about? Your constant pestering isn't exactly making me want to open up and bare all, you know."

"I'm just trying…I just want…agh…" the man mumbled, frustrated, shaking his head. He lifted a shaking hand up to his face and cupped a palm against his eye, pressing firmly. That feeling of loss and abandonment was returning, and he dreaded the weight of it. But it was his fault. He was the one that pressed the issue of trust and friendship, and now he was paying for it like he always had before—with hurt and loneliness.

"Now look, I don't want to upset you like before," Endri grunted, waving a hand at his partner. "That isn't my intention at all. All I want is for you to respect my privacy and my wishes. If I don't want to take my glasses off, then shut up about it. It's done. No more arguing."

"But I don't understand," Kyle's small voice whimpered, making the ghost roll his hidden eyes. "They're just glasses. They're just your eyes. I don't understand why it's such a private issue for you. If they're just sensitive to light, then you don't have anything to worry about because it's dim in here right now. And I told you, if you have some kind of deformity, that wouldn't bother me."

"It's private for me, Kyle. It's always been private."

"But we're partners. We've worked non-stop together for several years now. We should trust each other enough to let some of those boundaries drop."

"That's your own opinion."

"You…you don't trust me," Kyle whimpered again as if his heart was breaking. "You never will. You hate me."

Endri huffed a sigh. "Bennington, I don't hate you."

"But you don't trust me."

"Why is something like that such an issue for you? We work together; isn't that enough?"

"No!" came a quick, defiant shout. It surprised the blonde into withdrawing a few inches. "You just don't understand, Endri."

"The only thing I **do** understand is that you've been behaving abnormally for days now, starting with that yelling session you gave me. Ever since, if you haven't been moaning in pain, you've been either pushing me away or trying to cling to me like you're beyond desperate. I know your emotions can overwhelm you, but come on, Bennington."

Kyle drew into himself, filled with shame and sadness. He knew his emotions and memory of his losses had driven him to act out of the ordinary for a while now, but…even still… "You don't understand.…" he mumbled softly, hugging his own chest and averting his eyes.

"You keep telling me that! And that's all you **ever** tell me! So, apparently I **don't** understand. I haven't understood since the beginning of this whole ordeal. And I never will understand until you open your damn mouth and tell me, in plain English, what the hell is wrong with you! All this yelling, all this fighting—it's accomplishing nothing! You started this whole mess out of the blue, and now I'm paying for it. And you're paying for it. We're both miserable and angry at each other, and I want to know what the hell started this whole mess to begin with! And don't you tell me that I don't understand, because I **won't** understand until you say something!"

Closing his eyes, Kyle bit into his bottom lip, cringing slightly from the anger poured out at him. He could hear his partner's heavy breaths, cutting into the screaming silence around them, and it made him shiver out of reflex. The movement allowed his mouth to open. And a moment later… "You're…all I have."

Endri blinked at him for a moment, mulling over the hesitant, soft-spoken statement. "And what does that mean?"

"Haven't you stopped for one minute to think about our situation, Endri?" Kyle continued slowly. It sounded like his soul had left him barren and cold. "Really think about it.… Are you paying attention?"

"Of course I am!"

A slight pause entered the human's thought. "When you found me in that bar, I was so ready to just die. My wife and daughter were dead. All of my friends had left my side because they thought I was a killer. Only one stayed with me, and he was the one serving me alcohol to drown my pain. When I agreed to come along with you and help you search for these Keys, I left everything behind…little as it was. I gave up everything to travel by your side, to find the Keys, and to get to the Neitherworld. That was over three years ago.

"You are the only person I associate with now. You're the only one I see on a regular basis. You're the only one I have to talk to…spend time with…the only one I really **know** anymore. How can you not expect someone like me, someone who needs the company of others to feel safe, secure, and happy, to not be upset when you hole yourself up and refuse to be friendly with me? A smile. A pat on the back. A quick hug when something good happens…or when I'm sad, upset, or lonely. I like hugs. I need hugs." He tried very hard to keep from choking up, gritting his teeth against the intensity of his emotions. "But you keep pushing me away and pushing me away.… And it hurts…God, it hurts so much…"

His breaths hitched but he swallowed and forced himself to continue on. "I'm a person that needs companionship and trust and closeness and meaningful friendships from the people I'm close to. How do you expect me to act when the only person in my life that could possibly give me those things refuses to do so and treats me like shit because I'm upset about it!"

And finally, Kyle allowed himself to cry once again because of the emptiness he felt from his partner. "I…I'll say it again.… Endri…you're all I have.…"

With tears on his face, he turned away from that blonde-headed bastard, shoulders lurching and heavy sobs pouring from his mouth. He sat that way and cried for what felt like an hour, and not once did he hear a word from his partner. That was just like him. And that made Kyle hurt all the more. Because the one person he was closest to in the entire world couldn't care less about him.

Something entered his personal space.

A large, warm hand came down upon Kyle's head, and he jerked, startled with the contact. The scare sobered him a little, and his heavy crying eased off, leaving huffing breaths and sniffles.

"Hmph," Endri grunted, working his fingers down into greasy strands of white hair. "I knew you were weak and emotional, but…it's downright pitiful."

"You jerk!" Kyle growled, moving to pull away.

"But!" the blonde interjected, putting more pressure on his friend's head to hold him still. "I never realized that you had no other people in your life but me to talk to and spend time with.… Well, I suppose I knew it, but it never really registered to me. Still…" He sighed and scooted closer, pulling Kyle against his side and running his fingers forward through his hair. "I apologize for being so…callous of your situation. It was never my intention to hurt you. I just…didn't notice."

The man sniffed and wiped at his nose.

"Come now," Endri went on, giving the body next to his a jostle, "enough of that crying. I don't like seeing you cry. I would rather listen to the rain."

"_'Cause you don't like me.…_" Kyle mumbled under his breath.

"Now, stop it!" the blonde grumbled, digging his fingers against his friend's scalp, making him shrink down and wince. "I never said I don't like you. I **do** like you. I—" He froze, unable to believe in the words he had just uttered only a second ago. And one second was all it took to realize the truth…the truth that he had meant it. Endri really **did** care for his companion. He would feel hurt and be sad if the man ever left or passed away. He would stand up for him against any formidable opponent to keep him safe. He would keep the man warm and fed in the most dire of situations. Though, even if he felt such a strong bond of friendship at last, a bond that had built slowly over time to where it was just suddenly there, that didn't mean Endri was comfortable with the new feelings. It was just such an odd flavor to digest.

"Look, you know I'm terrible with people. So you should know, I'd be terrible with you too. Agh…what I mean to say is, I don't hate you, and I don't not like you. I do like you. Ah…you're a good person. And I'm sorry I haven't been a good person to you too. Um…" He racked his brain to find complimenting words for his partner to make him feel better, but nothing was working. Finally, he just settled on carding his fingers through the man's hair gently and holding him at his side—a safe place where his deathly status wouldn't be noticed very easily.

Kyle sighed deeply and closed his eyes, feeling the fingers in his hair and allowing them to soothe his weariness. Endri's words echoed in his head as if it was hollow, bouncing around and filling him up with warmth. The fingers in his hair spread that warmth over his body, and he relaxed considerably, leaning his weight against his partner and his head onto the man's broad shoulder.

It was then that he realized that, for as unemotional and stand-offish as Endri was, the contact he was receiving then was the closest he would get to another full-blown hug. It brought about warmth and comfort, and really, wasn't that all he had wished for?

"You like my hair?"

"In general. It's one of my 'things'." There was a small pause. "You want me to stop?"

"Nah…it's fine. Feels nice."

"Mm."

More silence entered the tent save for the moderate rain outside, a silence that lasted for long minutes. All the while, Endri's large fingers continued to soothe his friend, bringing the man peace and relaxation at last. Truth be told, the ghost was pretty happy with himself that he could do that for someone, especially someone as important as Kyle. He had once told the wily genius that he was important…but he had lost his way, lost the true purpose behind the words. But now, everything was all right again.

Everything was fine.

"We should go to sleep. It's late."

"Mm-hmm…"

"Kyle?"

"Mm…m…"

Endri smirked. Gently, he drew his small-framed partner into his arms and laid him out on his sleeping bag. He worked the zipper closed until the man was fully encased save his head, and lightly caressed a hand over his fluffy white hair. Blue eyes blinked open groggily, and he smiled warmly.

"Endri…"

"Hush…sleep…"

"Hmm…"

And Kyle was out, a small smile lifting the corners of his lips upward. Endri settled down beside him and shifted until he was comfortable.

What a relief. Nothing had exploded, and no one was hurt. Perhaps their partnership was salvageable after all? That thought allowed the ghost to fall asleep quickly that night.


	6. Chapter 6 : Kill It

—Key Saga—

Forest Folly

Spencers13 (Lacey G) © June 9, 2003–2005 / Revised 2006—Revised 2009-2010

PG-13 (Language, Violence) / Angst; Drama

"Goodbye Blue Sky" lyrics from the album "The Wall" © _Pink Floyd_ 1979 / "Alone I Break" lyrics from the album "Untouchables" © _KoRn_ 2002

TimeBase : Key Saga circa August, 1995; Episode 04

— — —

**Chapter Six – Kill It**

In the early morning hours, Endri awoke to the sound of his partner's frightened voice. The sun was barely up, and the storm still rumbled outside, not seeming to be letting up in the slightest.

"_Endri…Endri, wake up…please.…_" a tremulous voice whispered near his side.

Groaning, the ghost rolled over. "What?" he asked, voice gravelly from sleep.

"_My shoulder…it feels funny,_" Kyle whispered again, sounding very anxious.

Endri sat up awkwardly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes behind his glasses. "What do you mean—funny?"

"I-I don't know.… It feels like it's…moving." The man lay rigid, afraid to even move himself.

Scooting over, the ghost turned on the lantern near Kyle's head and leaned over him. He yawned as he tried to pick at the knot in the red-stained bandage. "Does it hurt?"

"It's kinda tingly and numb."

Endri frowned. "Numb?" He undid the wrap and unraveled it from the man's shoulder. Keeping a startled gasp from escaping, he cupped his left hand over Kyle's eyes and pushed his face away.

"Hey! What're you doin'?"

"Shhh! Keep still," the ghost ordered, his tone its old, emotionless self.

"What is it? What's wrong?" his partner asked, nervousness in his voice.

"Nothing is wrong. Just keep still, and don't look."

"D-Don't look? Something's **gotta** be wrong, then!" Kyle shouted, trying to move and see what was going on. Strong hands clamped down on him, preventing him from moving.

"Be quiet!"

Whimpering softly, the human relinquished himself to Endri. The ghost closely inspected the man's shoulder, keeping his hand locked over Kyle's eyes. A large, black beetle had worked its way under the man's bandage and was trying to burrow into his wound, either looking for food or a warm, moist place to lay its eggs. Half of its wriggling body was already past the surface of Kyle's skin. Endri tried to grab it and pull, but the bug burrowed with more intensity and sunk a little deeper. Its body was too slick to grab onto, especially since Endri's fingers had begun to sweat.

Kyle jerked and hissed when his partner's fingers slipped off the insect's abdomen and it dug further into his shoulder.

"You felt that?"

"Y-Yeah. I guess it isn't totally numb."

"Just hold on."

"What's wrong…please," Kyle's voice reached his partner, small and scared.

"Nothing that I can't remedy. Don't worry; you'll be fine," Endri assured him, doing his best to sound comforting.

He tried to grab the beetle again, but only achieved the same results as the first time. Out of options, he leaned down, gripped the bug between his teeth, and pulled carefully.

Feeling itself gripped in the jaws of a predator, the insect panicked and tried to delve even deeper, the legs still protruding from Kyle's wound twitching in fear. Endri would not relent, pulling on the large beetle even more. He was afraid to use too much pressure and bite the thing in half, but he continued anyway, knowing Kyle's safety was worth the risk. He pulled until the creature was most of the way out of the wound, and only let go with his teeth after grabbing it between his fingers. As he pulled on the bloody insect, Kyle's body shuddered beneath him, and a scream tore from his throat. But he had to continue; it was the only option. He just hoped Kyle would be all right after what he would have to do next.

Digging all five fingertips into the wound, Endri cupped them around the squirming beetle and ripped it the rest of the way out along with an agonizing shriek from Kyle. The insect and his fingers were covered in blood, and very small bits of flesh dangled from the creature's pincers.

In relief, the ghost released Kyle's eyes, and the man weakly looked over to see what had caused so much pain. Another scream erupted past his lips at the sight of such a huge, ghastly insect clutched in bloody fingers.

"O-Oh, crap! Son of a—! That was **in me**? That thing was freakin' crawling into my body?" he cried, trying to wiggle away.

Endri smoothed his left hand over Kyle's forehead and cheek, attempting to provide comfort. "It's all right now. I got it out."

"Kill it! Kill that son of a bitch!"

Endri frowned at his partner, then turned his attention to the wriggling beetle in his hand. He quickly wrapped it in his fist and squeezed, crushing it. Scooting over to the door, he unzipped it and held his hand out into the rain, letting nature wash away the blood and remains.

Kyle breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Endri with his arm outside letting it wash clean. But the pain was still thrumming through his body, reminding with every pang how very much it hurt to still be alive. He wanted to go home. He wanted to be in his own bed. He wanted this whole nightmare to be just that—something he could at least wake up from and escape. But the pain never ebbed, almost mocking him with its presence.

"I don't believe this is happening to me," he moaned after Endri had zipped the tent up and crawled back over to his side. "I just don't believe it." Tears brimmed his eyes but refused to fall.

The ghost swallowed, a little nervous with the sight of unshed tears and Kyle's distress. He was never sure what to do with emotional people. Before, he had simply ignored and walked away from anyone who decided to get emotional on him rather than dealing with them. But now, that wasn't an option, so he had to try to make due. He half leaned over Kyle's body, curious to see the emotions he chose to just ignore before.

The human looked up at him and sniffed. "I'm not gonna make it, am I?" he asked, voice a tremble.

"Don't say that. Of course you will."

Kyle shook his head, rolling it back and forth over the little travel pillow. "No…I can tell. If my shoulder keeps getting messed up and bleeding, it won't heal right. And I'm a lot weaker than I was yesterday."

Endri looked the man over. He was indeed a lot paler and was sweating constantly. He looked very tired as well with dark rings circling under his eyes, giving them a sunken look. His skin was hot to the touch, indicating fever—never ever a good thing under the current circumstances.

"And this rain," Kyle went on, almost moaning in despair. "It's not gonna let up tomorrow, is it? Or the next day. We can't travel with it like this, so we're stuck here. And I'm just gonna get weaker and weaker…"

"_Don't say that,_" Endri whispered quietly, laying his rain-dampened fingers gently over the human's lips. "_I promised I would save you—get you to town in time. I will._"

Kyle sniffed, still trying to keep the tears in. "_I'm so confused,_" he mumbled from behind the silencing digits.

Endri cocked his head a bit to the side and removed his fingers. "About?"

"Everything. About us. About this quest we're on. Mostly about us."

"What don't you understand?"

Kyle paused for a while, trying to gather his thoughts into coherency. "Are…are we still fighting? Do you hate me? Why are you so adamant about helping me? I have so many questions about you; you know that."

Endri nodded fractionally. "After last night, I would imagine that we aren't fighting anymore. I never wanted to fight in the first place, you know. I don't hate you; I never did. And because I don't hate you…because I, in fact, **like** you, I'm trying my hardest to save your life."

Swallowing the pain, Kyle sniffed, trying to hold back. "You…really like me? After all I've said? After all I've done?"

Endri nodded, his voice soft and gentle when it reached the man's ears. "Yes."

"_Why?_" came a breathy whisper.

The ghost shrugged one shoulder nonchalantly. "I don't know. All I do know is that you're different from so many of the others that I've met. You've actually shown me kindness on occasion, and I'm grateful."

Kyle sniffed again, and Endri leaned down. Very gently, he licked the human's wound, running his tongue over the scored flesh to clean it. Kyle only whimpered and reached up to lay both hands to the ghost's arms.

"Mmphh…hn…"

"Shhh…" the blonde hushed gently, caressing a hand over his upper arm and losing the fingers of his other hand in fluffy, white, snow drifts drawing the human's attention away from his shoulder—it was one of the few times in over two years that he touched his partner's hair like that. His tongue connected with raw skin again, licking away the blood pooled there. He was tender and caring about it, probably more so than he had ever been in his life.

"_It hurts.…_"

"_I know,_" Endri whispered, continuing the gentle licking.

"_Make it stop._"

"_I wish I knew how._"

Kyle whimpered again, gripping the ghost's arms tighter. "H-How will you get me back to town with all this rain?" he asked, trying to change the subject and distract himself from the pain.

At that point, Endri was finished anyway, and he leaned up, licking his lips to clear away the blood left behind. "I'll find a way."

The human smirked weakly. "You always do."

Kindly, his partner smoothed the sweat from his forehead and cheeks. "Get some more rest. I'll be right here," he assured.

Kyle still held onto his arms, pretty sure he was afraid to let go. "_You really __**can **__be compassionate,_" he whispered, almost in awe.

Endri smirked. "I'm trying it out. How am I doing?"

"Hn. Decent. You could do much better, though."

"We'll see how it goes. Now, go to sleep."

Blinking tiredly, Kyle closed his eyes. His head drifted to the side, already out, just like a light. He must have been so exhausted.

Endri sighed with relief, but knew things weren't nearly over. He still had to get his friend back to town and to help. He didn't want to resort to taking the easy way for fear that Kyle would discover his secret. Actually, if he took the easy way, Kyle **would** discover his secret. But, if it came to it, he would do it without a second thought.

Kyle groaned in his sleep, and Endri gently mussed his hair, bringing his friend—and maybe even himself—some comfort. He stayed awake for the rest of the early morning in vigil.


	7. Chapter 7 : Say Goodbye

—Key Saga—

Forest Folly

Spencers13 (Lacey G) © June 9, 2003–2005 / Revised 2006—Revised 2009-2010

PG-13 (Language, Violence) / Angst; Drama

"Goodbye Blue Sky" lyrics from the album "The Wall" © _Pink Floyd_ 1979 / "Alone I Break" lyrics from the album "Untouchables" © _KoRn_ 2002

TimeBase : Key Saga circa August, 1995; Episode 04

— — —

**Chapter Seven – Say Goodbye**

Another two days slipped by with no change in the weather. The rain never ceased, keeping the two men trapped inside their four-man-sized enclosure. And all the while, Kyle was becoming worse. His health deteriorated a little more every other hour, the color slowly draining from his pallor, and the time he spent asleep increased. But when he was awake, he was still coherent and although a bit drowsy, more or less alert. His shoulder throbbed even more so than before, constantly reminding him he was still alive…something which he was beginning to not desire any longer.

The rapport between he and Endri was much lighter than it had ever been when they spoke. And both found themselves gravitated to each other much more often. Kyle felt wondrous relief and comfort when Endri happened to touch him, always having needed the blonde to come into contact with him. Before, when he was lonely, depressed, or at wits end, all he could think about was Endri dropping all pretenses and wrapping his strong arms around him. He had always stood back in the shadows and gazed upon the ghost's muscular body, subconsciously realizing such a strong being could offer so much protection and comfort…if only Endri would give it up.

Kyle had always tried to see the good in people and search out qualities in them that could essentially give him what he needed—as most everyone did. The man had seen the good deep down inside Endri, but had never been able to get past his cold, impenetrable exterior. Now that he had, even if it was just a little, he could finally get some of what he needed: comfort, care, and the feeling of being needed in another's life just a little.

Often during those two days, the pair found themselves sitting very close and touching just to touch. That was how Kyle realized Endri was a very tactile person. The blonde really liked to touch things just to touch them, and, frankly, it wasn't all that terrible.

Kyle's want for Endri to leave after they got back to town silently vanished somewhere along the wayside. It was at one point after the ghost pulled the beetle from his shoulder and before he licked the bloody wound clean. He was preferring the blonde's company more and more, forgetting his reasons for turning on his partner and running.

I I I I I

"Three."

"Try again."

"Six?"

"Mm-mm."

"Uhh…ten."

"Sorry."

"Ugh," Kyle grunted, closing his eyes wearily. "I don't know. I give up."

Endri chuckled smugly, idly braiding a little chunk of his blonde hair. It was greasy and mussed from not showering for almost a week. But he wasn't complaining, nor was Kyle. They simply tried to get by. "Two. I was thinking of the number two."

"Hm…" Blue eyes remained closed.

Swallowing, the ghost lowered his gaze, removing his hands from his hair and awkwardly fingering his rumpled sleeping blanket. He looked back up to see a fluttering of Kyle's facial features. The man was in extreme pain, he knew, but he still hesitated to stoop to his last resort. Because he knew if he did, he would lose his friend altogether. He wasn't ready for that just yet. But the look on Kyle's face…the pain he knew the man was experiencing…made him waiver dangerously close to revealing himself. But something kept his mouth from opening over and over again. Maybe it was the fact that he had strived so hard to fix their tattered relationship, only to have to throw it away simply by saying, "_I'm a ghost._"

And the reason Endri was so afraid to say such a thing? Kyle **hated** ghosts. He hated them with a passion. He thought they were all evil, murderous creatures that craved only more death. It was a very biased, racist way of thinking, but Endri had only chosen to ignore it in the past, neither encouraging nor discouraging Kyle's hatred. He really should have tried to appeal on the behalf of ghosts, since he was one himself and knew his human friend was basing his racism off of only one experience: the murder of his family by a creature from the Neitherworld. Endri couldn't remember how many times he had heard Kyle ranting and raving about his hatred of ghosts, cursing them, slandering them over and over. It had definitely stung him personally because his friend was inadvertently saying all of those things to him as well. But, still, he never said a word. Maybe he really should have.

Kyle grunted and nearly choked trying to swallow. His dull eyes fluttered open and searched about lazily for his friend. "Hey…Endri."

Scooting closer, the ghost leaned over his partner, a sad smirk playing on his lips. "Já."

"Look, I-uh…I gotta tell ya somethin'. This…this ain't easy for me, so bear with me. Kay?"

"Of course."

"I don't know if you know this but…I'm pretty smart."

Endri smirked with more humor. "I think I knew that already."

"No, no, I mean…**really** smart. I graduated high school when I was eleven. College when I was fourteen. I got doctorates in three different subjects that range from archeology to electronics. I **know**…I'm not doing too good. Now listen…back home. I'm sure you know about the safe in the living room. There's more than just money and savings bonds in there. I have notes. They could change the way the world works, Endri." The ghost swallowed as he stared at his friend. "I want you to put them to as much use as you can."

"Stop talking like this, Kyle. You're going to be fine."

"No, no, shut up and listen to me!" he growled before biting off a groan of pain then swallowing. "I'm sure you got that note I wrote you once…saying I'm giving you all my stuff. I still am. I want you to have my house, money, Jeep, all of it. Keep it nice, okay?"

Endri shook his head, refusing to listen.

"Please, Endri! I'm trying to be freakin' nice to you before I die, gimme a break! ARGUH!" He hissed, right hand flying to his left shoulder. His shouting had jostled it painfully.

Reaching out, the ghost held his partner's arm gently, trying to give comfort as he had recently learned. "I-I'm sorry." He frowned. "But you are **not** dying, Kyle. I said I wouldn't let you. I said I'd help you in time. I never go back on my word."

Kyle rolled his head back and forth languidly. "I know you did…but we got another day and a half of travel time just to get back to town. I'm already too far gone to risk taking out in the rain. It'll take a miracle now, and you know it. Just forget about it. Listen to what I have to say okay?"

Endri nodded, resorting to silence. He hoped, in a remote part of his mind, that Kyle would just pass out for once. His high tolerance to pain was becoming bothersome.

"Listen, there's—there's some stuff you don't know about me still. Basically 'cause you never asked about it…which I'm grateful for. But I wanna tell you…just 'cause. I need it off my chest or it'll drag me down to hell, I just know it." He paused for a moment to swallow and steel his nerves. "My dad died in a plane crash when I was eight. He was on a business trip to New York. My mom got real depressed after that. She died of cancer when I was twelve and still going to college. After I graduated college at fourteen, I was still too young to live at home by myself, so I had to stay with my only living relative. Uncle Rick…my dad's only brother." Kyle swallowed, closing his eyes in not only physical pain, but emotional. "He was a real bastard, Endri." The hand holding onto his arm squeezed just a little in reassurance.

"You don't have to…"

"No, I do. I don't wanna take this with me. I've carried all this shit with me long enough." He waited until he regained some control, then went on. "He…drank a lot. It was always just about his beer and TV. Never gave a damn about what I did so long as I stayed alive. But he wouldn't feed me, so I had to scrounge for food before I got home from work 'cause I knew I wouldn't get it there. He'd always been jealous of my dad and his family 'cause he was always so successful and happy, while my uncle was just a miserable, drunk bastard all the time. Guess he found the need to take his frustration out on me in any way he could without getting into too much trouble." Kyle licked his lips and swallowed, closing his eyes. "He got really drunk once…came home…was loud and rowdy. He beat me up pretty bad that night…first time he ever laid a hand on me. I don't think he even knew it was me.… Broke an arm…couple ribs.… I got away, though. Kicked him in the crotch and ran. Some of my buddies from work helped me out. Took me to the hospital…"

"Kyle, this isn't necessary. Please—"

"Shut up!"

Endri winced and closed his mouth. He could hear the pain in the man's voice, both physical and emotional. It hurt to hear it, and he didn't like that feeling. He still didn't like to think he was too connected with his partner.

"I need you…to listen to me now," Kyle growled. "I need you to be close now. I need you to be my friend, Endri. Please…" his lower lip quivered, "stop making me feel…like I'm a waste of time. I…I need you…please.…"

Endri licked his lips and reached over with his free hand, mussing it through his partner's white hair. "Forgive me. I'll listen." His voice was soft and comforting, just what Kyle was needing.

Smiling, he closed his eyes again and sighed deeply, releasing the tension throughout his body. "That feels so good." So, his friend continued to play with his hair while he laid and thought. Kyle was basically done with the story about his uncle, except, "They-uh…arrested him. But not for beating me up. They caught him robbing a 7-11 for beer.… Took him to jail. He was killed a few months later during a prison break gone bad. I found that pretty funny. So that left me the last in my bloodline. When I was eighteen, back on track, and holding a very prosperous job, I met Carol. Sparks flew, man." He smiled wistfully. "We got married faster than lightning and had Jamey just a few months later. For six years, I was a happy, happy man.… Then…well…you know the rest, then."

Endri nodded, twisting his fingers through white strands. "Já.…"

"But I do have one thing I wanna admit to you, Endriði, my friend." Kyle chuckled, licking his lips and opening his eyes. They displayed a slight glaze over them, making them shimmer in the dull light of the tent. "Since I met you…my quality of life…has definitely improved. I quit drinkin'. I quit smokin'. I…I'm not quite so bitter anymore, I think. It's true that…you weren't there when I really needed you, but…most of the time you were more like…a silent guardian. Tall…proud…strong…" His voice wavered, his lips trembled, tears flooded his vision. "I always saw you…and wished you'd just…come over…a-and gimme a huge freakin' hug when I was stressed out. I needed you to be close to me. I just…needed you…I still do…I always will.…" He closed his cerulean orbs, the wetness from his unshed tears soaking onto his bottom lids and pooling at the corners of his eyes.

Speechless for the time being, Endri swallowed, both hands latched firmly to the pain-ridden body lying before him. He only realized he was gripping too hard when Kyle grunted a little under the pressure. Easing up, he was able to utter softly, "How can someone so meaningless mean so much?"

Kyle looked up at him. A smile spread over his thin lips as he began lifting his injured arm, hand heading for the ghost's shoulder. "You'll **never** be meaningless…to me.…"

Endri released a pent breath, and his hands trembled where they touched his friend. His **friend**. His lips began to pull into what would have been his biggest grin in ages, but fell miserably short when Kyle screeched in pain, trembling right hand flying to his shoulder to grip it. When he had reached up to connect his hand to the ghost's shoulder, he had unintentionally twisted his own shoulder in just the right way to send him screaming. And that was what he continued to do.

"Ahss! Ah-kk-koff-koff!"

Endri grit his teeth at the sight. "Skíta! Hold on, Kyle!" He tried to soothe him, but nothing could make the pain dull this time. It was too much. Growling, the ghost mentally berated himself for not moving with more haste before. He should have just dropped all pretenses and flown back to town days ago. This was all his fault!

The puffing air of his breaths drifted down over Kyle's face, cooling his heated skin and feeling good as it just barely combed through his hair and evaporated the sweat from his forehead, but the pain was just entirely too great for his weak body to continue to endure.

"_D-'Dri…_" The ghost looked upon him in full attention at the soft call, meeting half-lidded, glazed eyes. "_It's f-finally…too…mu…_" A second later, Kyle was unconscious, head drifting to the side heavily.

"Kyle!… Dammit!" Endri growled, finally taking that as a cue to get his ass moving. He dashed about the tent, grabbing a few necessary items and throwing them into a backpack, nearly tore the tent open, then picked the man up, still enclosed in his red sleeping bag for protection against the elements. As gently as he could, he carried Kyle outside into the rain.

For a brief moment, he gazed up into the cloud-covered sky and let the rain wash over his face. The raindrops slipped down over his cheeks, crying for him, feeling sorry for him because he just couldn't. He was too detached from his own emotions to do so.

Not hesitating any longer, he jumped straight up, flying high up over the trees with stomach-dropping speed. The flight would take about an hour at his top speed, but he would be pushing his limits this time…for Kyle. When he finally broke through the clouds high above and the rain no longer pelted their bodies, Endri took off horizontally, heading back in the direction of the town.

A half hour into the flight, Kyle groaned and his eyes fluttered open. Endri swore under his breath. Now he was **really** caught. His friend would definitely think something was odd about him, especially since they were a few thousand feet up and moving rapidly past clouds and the occasional bird. He was hoping that if he was fast enough, Kyle wouldn't discover his secret and turn from him in hatred. But now, it was too late.

Kyle's blue eyes regarded Endri silently, glazed and dazed. The pain had short circuited his body, numbing him, sapping strength, leaving him sweaty and incapacitated. In other words, he had all the symptoms of intoxication. He smiled wistfully up at his friend, honestly not recognizing him at the moment. He didn't recognize anything. He just felt weightless and serene with a pair of strong arms holding him up and a gentle male face looking down at him.

Endri grit his teeth and pressed on. He was caught. There was no need to hide anything anymore. "Kyle, I'm so sorry it had to happen like this. I never wanted you to know about me. I knew you'd hate me for just being what I am. Please don't be too angry at me for not telling you. I just…I didn't want you to hate me…I **don't** want you to hate me. I hope…you'll find it in your heart to forgive me someday." He never thought he would be pleading with a human for forgiveness for simply being what he was.

But Kyle only looked at him with a wane smile. He only saw undulating rivers of blonde hair flowing around a soft male face while his lips moved, making no sounds. He only saw the clear blue skies above that man with a bright sun giving warmth to his skin. A few white wisps of clouds behind them made Kyle believe they were wings arching out of the blonde's back.

So…this was what it was to die.

Languidly, Kyle leaned up, lifting his injured arm even, feeling no pain in it for once. He touched the angel's soft face and gently drew off the black sunglasses he wore. He must have one of those archangels or something, for him to be dressed like that. Gazing into the sparkling green depths of the eyes of the creature he thought was an angel, he smiled warmly and leaned his head against the strong shoulder. He was finally on his way…and he was ready.

I I I I I

It was so dark. Cold. It was cold too. What happened? What was going on?

'_Where am I?_'

Out of the blackness a hazy face emerged, haloed with a pale blue, smoky mist, slightly masking out bright yellow waterfalls of blonde hair. Only the eyes could clearly be seen—bright, beautiful green eyes that blinked slowly with darkly-tinted lids. They stared, making the subject of their gaze feel completely naked and helpless before them. The blurry lips of that angelic, male face parted and moved, forming silent words.

There was no sound—no sound at all.

The full lips smiled, then, and the corners of those clear eyes lifted in happiness.

'_An…angel…_'

I I I I I

Pale eyelids twitched under the soft glow of florescent lighting and slowly lifted revealing glazed, sky blue eyes. The overhead lights reflected dully in the cerulean orbs, and the man they belonged to frowned and squinted, the soft lighting still too much to handle. He waited for a while, letting his eyes adjust and the tears budding at the corners of his lids dry up. When he was finally able to see the blurry, white ceiling tiles of the room he seemed to be occupying, he let his tired eyes drift to the side, trying to see something—anything.

To his right stood a metal pole with a clear bag of liquid hanging from the top and a small tube running from it down into his hand. It took a full minute for it to register what the device was called. Even from the short distance away, the apparatus was still blurry.

He just couldn't find focus. Something seemed to be sapping his strength or keeping it at such a low level, he could barely sustain consciousness.

Deciding to try to remain awake, he forced his senses to open up a little more, attempting to ascertain where he was and what was going on. It was then that he noticed something covering his mouth and nose. It was hard, but clear, and every time he breathed in, it felt like he was taking in a lung-full of fresh air from outside. What it could be was lost on him.

He knew he was covered with a blanket and lying on something soft, but that was the extent of his perception. Nothing was registering. Everything was so blurry. He was so tired. Damn, it was frustrating.

Movement caught his attention from the corner of his eye, and it took all he could to roll his head to the side to see more. What he took in was too hazy to understand, but when it moved again, a little recognition dawned. Two figures were standing seemingly a mile away before a big black hole surrounded by white. One was taller than the other, and its yellow head bobbed up and down like it was nodding. The other was a little darker, but it's body was much whiter than its companion. Garbled noises reached his ears from where the figures stood. He knew it was speech, but couldn't stretch his senses far enough to make out the words.

It seemed anything beyond a two foot radius around his body was unreachable, barely able to be seen, and hardly perceptible.

Just then, the figure with a white body disappeared through the black hole, and then it closed up, blending in with the white space surrounding it. The other figure remained, advancing on him. With each step it took, it came more into focus until finally it stood beside him and was distinguishable as a human being. It leaned down, the blurry face clearing as the man it belonged to was finally recognized.

"You're awake again," Endri said, his voice echoing like in a dream. "The doctors say you will be just fine, and that I got you here just in time. Any longer, and the damage may have been irreversible or fatal." The blonde's black glasses stared down at him for a moment, seemingly in thought. "I'm glad to know you'll make it all right."

Kyle tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. He tried to speak, but his voice was too muffled and garbled inside the plastic thing over his mouth and nose.

Endri waved a finger back and forth above the oxygen mask and laid his other hand to the human's unhurt shoulder. "Don't try to speak. Save your strength."

The man's body relaxed all too willingly, feeling a nauseating wave of lightheadedness wash over him, leaving him sweaty and trembling in its wake. His eyelids drooped heavily, and it took all he had just to keep them open and stay conscious.

A look of sadness passed over the blonde's visage as it seemingly floated bodiless above Kyle's body. He could have been imagining it, but Endri kind of looked like the angel he had seen in his dream. It might have been the drugs, but right then, with his foggy vision, his friend closely resembled that angelic vision. He offhandedly wondered if Endri's eyes were green.

Those dark shades dropped down, unable to look at him, but lifted back when full lips parted to speak. "Kyle, there's…there's something I'd like to say before I leave."

"Hmmnnphoo_…_"

"Shhh…let me just say it, and I'll go," Endri argued. He reached up to swipe the sweat from his friend's cheek, hoping to bring comfort.

"I know you'd rather not see me at all, but…I feel I need to say this," he went on. Blue eyes blinked up at him, glazed and confused. '_He probably doesn't even recognize me; he's so high on morphine._' But, still, he would say what he had to say, whether his friend understood it and who it came from or not. At least it would be off of his chest. And with it that way, Kyle wouldn't try to run or hit him.

Kyle's awareness could indeed be questioned as he gained and lost focus from one second to the next. But he was fighting, striving to gain control of himself. He had heard Endri's words, and they registered. They registered too well.

"Kyle…I know how much you hate me," the ghost began, almost like he had practiced in front of a mirror before he brought his speech to an audience. "Yet look at me. I am almost nothing like you thought I was. I've done all I could to save your life. I've treated you with kindness and compassion…to the best of my ability, that is. I am just like a regular person, only…I don't hand my heart out to everyone I meet." His free hand drifted to his chest, laying the palm over his still heart. "I'm very careful about my feelings, you should know that by now. But I'm not going to stand before you and beg and plead for you to accept and understand me. I've done it too many times before, and I know what the outcome will be.

"I just want you to know…I've never known anyone like you. No one has been able to capture my attention the way you have. I've never had a best friend before, and I was proud to admit you had attained that status with me. You **are** my best friend, Kyle, and I will **always** consider you to be. I wish…I wish I could show you what you mean to me…since words always seem to fail me."

Those dark shades stared down at Kyle again, lying helplessly in a hospital bed draped in white sheets, his snowy hair getting lost within the equally blank color of the pillowcase. His skin was so pale, almost matching the sheets and bandages covering his exposed upper torso. The man's blue eyes had glazed over and shimmered strangely in the overhead lights as they stared up at Endri. But those blue eyes always shown brightly, even when he looked to be on death's doorstep. But he would survive, and Endri was incredibly relieved and happy he had been the one to ensure that, no matter how long he held out to act. The human meant so much to him—a lot more than anyone had in a long, long time.

Strong but gentle fingers reached up to brush the sweat-matted hair back from the man's forehead.

The human blinked slowly, feeling those pale digits softly touch his heated skin. It felt nice. He had heard every single word Endri spoke to him. But what was more, he understood them. And it hurt. He knew they were his friend's parting words, which meant he would leave soon. But did Kyle really want him to leave? After all he had said, as much as he yelled and insulted, fought and pushed, and repeated his declaration of hate and disgust, he wasn't sure if that was what he really meant. He wasn't sure if he really wanted Endri to leave. The blonde had been all he knew for the past three years, and during such a seemingly small amount of time, bonds could form, routines could be set, times could be shared that become sacred, and a need could be developed.

Kyle, even though he was under the heavy influence of drugs, realized such a bond had developed between he and Endri. They had a routine. They shared times together that were sacred compared to so many other times in his past. And they had a need. They each had a need that only the other could fulfill. And Kyle realized—maybe a little too late—that he really **did** need—and need desperately—Endri in his life.

No one had ever really understood him, and it was a virtual stranger who finally broke the cycle—a stranger that was his partner for years, and a friend for a few days. Why did he always realize something so consequential when it was already too late? And he was supposed to be a genius.

His drowsy thought processes screeched to a halt when Endri again moved. Slowly, the blonde leaned close, using the fingers that had brushed at the human's hair to hold the damp strands back and remove their obstruction. Kyle held his shaky breath when Endri brushed his lips against his forehead, chastely kissing the heated skin.

Just as Kyle was beginning to close his eyes in a sign of contentment, the blonde pulled away, rising from where he had been sitting on the edge of the bed and standing fully. His figure fell beyond the man's range of clear sight, blurring, and it irritated him. Kyle wanted to see him. He wanted Endri to come back and sit by him and talk to him and just be with him like he had always needed him to be.

All thought was suspended when his friend's mouth opened again, hazy lips parting.

"I will miss you…so much," Endri croaked. "G-Goodbye."

His figure blurred even more than it had been, and the next thing Kyle knew, his best friend was walking out the door, vanishing when it closed behind him. Weakly, his uninjured arm lifted from the bed, his trembling fingers extending after Endri, trying feebly to reach out for him and keep him there.

But Endri was already gone.

The gloss that had been covering Kyle's eyes with a crystalline sheen intensified, and the tears that formed slipped free as he slumped, defeated. He was too weak. He couldn't stop his best friend from walking out of his life. The pain rose high, constricting his throat and sending more tears from his overflowing eyes. He would probably never see Endri again, and the thought of that made his condition all the worse. Honestly, he never thought it would hurt so badly to see that emotionless blonde go. But he wasn't emotionless anymore. The past week had been very revealing, and the guy had finally exposed some of his inner self. What Kyle had seen frightened him at first, but when the initial shock had died down, all he wanted was to know more about his friend. He didn't want him to leave. He wanted him to stay. He wanted to be able to talk to Endri, learn all he could about him, and be with him all the time. He doubted he could ever get tired of that guy. That was so rare in and of itself.

Kyle was so sorry. He was sorry for yelling all those times. He was sorry for putting his friend down. He was sorry he pushed him away because, now, all he wanted was for him to come back and be close.

"_En…dri…_" he choked out, his voice a quiet, muffled whisper from behind the oxygen mask.

The words sapped the last of his strength, and his eyes sagged closed, unable to stay open. The next thing he saw was nothing as he felt his body becoming number and number until he could feel nothing at all. He could only float in the black abyss of unconsciousness, all senses, awareness, and thought suspended.


	8. Chapter 8 : Not Alone

—Key Saga—

Forest Folly

Spencers13 (Lacey G) © June 9, 2003–2005 / Revised 2006—Revised 2009-2010

PG-13 (Language, Violence) / Angst; Drama

"Goodbye Blue Sky" lyrics from the album "The Wall" © _Pink Floyd_ 1979 / "Alone I Break" lyrics from the album "Untouchables" © _KoRn_ 2002

TimeBase : Key Saga circa August, 1995; Episode 04

— — —

**Chapter Eight – Not Alone**

A shadow of light poured over the grungy carpeting in a cheap motel room, spilling into the shape of a door. A hand swiped along the wall next to the portal, searching blindly for the light switch. A few seconds later, the lights clicked on, and Kyle stepped fully into the room and shut the door behind him.

Immediately, his eyes gravitated to one of the two beds that occupied the small room. On it sat all of his possessions, neatly packed and waiting for him. A glint of light caught his attention, drawing his eyes to the quilt next to his bags. There lay the ring Endri had given him two years ago—the ring he had torn from his neck and thrown away. He swallowed at the sight of it, remorse eating at his gut like acid. Something else caught his eye again. It was a plane ticket to Montana and 1,000 dollars cash poking out from a pocket in one of the bags, silent tokens of a truce. But the culprit of the welcome crime was nowhere to be seen, already gone a few days ago.

As Kyle stared at the articles, his right hand unconsciously lifted to cup against his left shoulder. His entire upper chest, shoulder, and upper arm were bandaged tightly, the injured appendage resting in a sling to keep it from moving too much. His tattered blue shirt hung limply over his shoulders, trying feebly to cover his pale back and mask the white wrappings.

Slowly, the man moved over to the bed and gathered the ring, money, and ticket into his free hand, a smirk pulling his lips up.

"Hn…what I always wanted…a ticket home. Thanks, Endri."

I I I I I

Days passed slowly, but soon enough, Kyle found himself back home and cleaning house—at least doing so to the best of his ability for having only one workable arm. The well-lived-in home had become very dusty and a bit run down from having no occupants for over three years, but the man didn't mind the normally tedious job of dusting, sweeping, and general house cleaning. It was all a welcome distraction as far as he was concerned.

As he went about doing the laundry, pulling shirts out of the dryer and piling them into a basket, he came across a white T-shirt he didn't remember washing. Holding it up to himself, he noticed it was way too big for his small frame.

"Endri's shirt…" Kyle mumbled quietly to himself. A smirk drifted over his lips. "Hn…musta been packed in my bag by accident." He fingered the material, taking in its softness and thinking it would be so comfortable to wear. The shirt must have been worn quite a lot to make it as soft as it was.

As Kyle stared absentmindedly at the garment, he allowed a few memories to creep in, memories of times shared, places visited, and many obstacles overcome with his long-gone companion. The memory of their fight drifted in then—the feelings he experienced during those rough few days, the harsh words they exchanged almost every time they opened their mouths. His wound had hurt him so badly, but Endri didn't care how many threats and curses Kyle threw at him, he just tended to him. And the blonde tended to him well, practically saving his life, but he was still the cause of the man's injuries in a roundabout way.

With each memory that resurfaced, Kyle's anger grew until he fisted the shirt in his hand and threw it forcefully into the trashcan next to the dryer, a growl of fury rising in his throat.

"All that, and he freakin' **left**, the jackass! Argh! I'd kill 'im if he was…still around."

He sighed, propping his hand to the dryer and leaning dejectedly, drooping his head. He stared forward for a moment before his eyes were inexorably pulled down and to the side to gaze into the trashcan at the innocent shirt. It held his blue eyes captive for the longest time until he finally reached down and plucked it out, shaking it off and folding it as neatly as he could. Smirking, he gently pushed it to the back corner of the dryer top before going about finishing the rest of the laundry.

I I I I I

Blue eyes stared with half interest at the television, watching as some lions grappled with each other on Animal Planet. It was pretty interesting, really, but the man those blue eyes belonged to just couldn't stay focused long enough to enjoy what he was seeing. Kyle sighed, leaning his head to the back of the couch and staring not at the TV but just above it. He was so bored. The past two months had been filled with nothing but boredom. After three years of running all over the planet, seeing places he never thought he would, doing things he never thought possible, sitting at home and watching TV seemed…incredibly dull.

A knock sounded on the front door, and Kyle twisted his head to look over the back of the couch to the foyer. Whoever was visiting knocked again, and the white and grey-haired man rolled his eyes and stood. It was probably Frank again, stopping by to see how he was and if he needed anything. Frank was the last of his friends from "before". He was an older man and someone Kyle was proud to know and trust. But cripes, he wasn't a baby for crying out loud.

Kyle made it to the door without hearing any more knocks and opened it. With a fake smile plastered to his lips, he prepared to greet his old friend again, but when those blue eyes of his rested to the person on his doorstep, the smile fell, and he froze to the spot.

Endri Timbürland stood before him, the same as always—dark sunglasses, black coat, the works. He smiled lightly, not betraying much by way of emotion.

They stared at each other, neither moving, neither speaking a word. Their eyes never averted, just gazed in silent shock. The seconds stretched on and on until it felt like a mini eternity had gone by.

Closing his gaping mouth and swallowing, Kyle decided to break the silence screaming between them. "E…Endri," he said in greeting with a flat tone.

The addressed person nodded only once slowly. "Kyle." He looked his former partner over, noticing he wore no shirt at present, and was only dressed with a white gauze bandage around his shoulder and a pair of grey sleeping pants with two thin, blue stripes running down the outside of each leg.

Kyle took a shaking breath. Everything he had imagined he would say to the blonde if he ever saw him again flew right out the door as soon as he had opened it. And so the only thing his blank mind could supply him with was, "Uhh…so…you…"

Endri smirked and reached up with one hand to scratch at the back of his neck nervously. "Yes, I…well…" He seemed to be suffering from the same ailment as his former friend. But quickly, he cleared his throat and composed himself. "I'm very sorry for intruding."

The man stared, nodding slowly. Somehow, he was still blown away with the fact that Endri was once again standing before him. It was almost like he never left in the first place. "Uh huh. That's…that's um…that's okay." He cleared his throat, following the ghost's example. "So…what did you need?"

Endri half laughed. "Ah, well, it's the strangest thing. I was going through my things, and I noticed a shirt missing. I could be wrong and miscounted, but…I rarely make mistakes like that, so I thought maybe you knew where it was. If you don't, that's all right. I'll survive, but it would be nice to have a complete outfit. I hope I'm not disturbing you with this."

"Um…no, no! It's okay. C-Come-on in." He backed away from the door, waving his hand in a "come forward" motion. Doing as told, the blonde stepped into Kyle's large, stone home, his boots clunking heavily on the wooden floor of the foyer. Everything seemed incredibly silent for some reason, as only the swishing of his pants and coat resounded loudly in Kyle's ears. Blinking, he broke his stare and turned away. "Wait here."

Endri obeyed again, politely shutting the front door and waiting there for Kyle to return from wherever he had walked off to. He didn't wait long, as the man sauntered back in, holding a neatly folded white shirt. It was extended out to him, clutched in a shaking hand.

"Here…found it in the dryer when I got home."

The ghost took it gently. "You kept it for me?"

"Heh…well…" He dropped his arm to the side. "I thought you might want it back sometime."

That same light smile drifted over Endri's lips as he fingered the shirt absently. "Thank you."

Kyle only shrugged.

Both men stood in what seemed to be an insurmountably awkward silence for a few moments. The second hand on the grandfather clock nearby seemed to tick slower and slower until it eventually stopped—time having stood still for the two men. If they were in a desert, tumbleweeds would be bouncing by, blown along the dusty earth by a dry wind beneath a searing sun.

Endri turned slightly. "Well…I'd best be going. Thank you again." He turned and reached for the doorknob.

"Wait!" a voice shouted, and Kyle was shocked to discover it was his. He had even stepped forward and lifted a hand.

Turning back just slightly, the ghost blinked behind his shades. "Yes?"

Kyle paused long enough to drop his arm back to his side. "So…that's it? You're just gonna leave?" Endri turned all the way back to face his former partner, cocking his head to the side just a bit in curiosity. "You just waltz in, take your shirt, and leave? No, 'Hey, Kyle, how've you been?' or, 'Hey, you're lookin' a lot better now.'?"

"Oh! I'm sorry! H-How are you?" He bowed politely, both of his hands holding his shirt down in front of himself. He looked like he was bowing to someone of great importance.

Kyle nodded, liking those results. "I'm fine. You?"

"Good, good."

"What have you been doing?"

Endri shrugged and looked off to the side, breaking eye contact. "Nothing too exciting. You?"

"Yeah, same here. People've been kinda buggin' me since I came back to town, though. My old friend keeps callin' and stoppin' by to visit. He was really doting on me 'cause of my arm. He's just now starting to slack off."

The ghost smiled. "It must be nice, though."

"What?"

"To have a friend who cares so much for you."

Kyle dropped his eyes to the floor. "Y-Yeah…I guess so."

Endri shifted nervously. "I should go. I'm making you uncomfortable." He made to turn away again.

"Wait!"

And he stopped again.

Kyle swallowed. "I…I have a question."

The ghost cocked his head to the side. It seemed he always did that when he was curious about something or when he was ready to listen to someone speak. It was definitely an endearing little motion. "What is it?"

Wringing his hands, Kyle said, "Well…they…they had me pretty doped up in that hospital. So, I was just wonderin', you know, curious about it and all…but, um…did you really…**fly** me there?" He bit his lip and looked up into dark shades, afraid his former partner would think him insane.

Endri just smirked. "Does it look like I have wings?"

"W-Well, no, but—"

"Then that is your answer," the blonde bit out quickly, suddenly not liking the subject and partially hoping that Kyle really thought the whole thing had only been a drug-induced hallucination. If so, their partnership might just be salvageable. "You passed out from the pain, and I just decided to go for broke. You were out the entire time it took me to get you to the hospital." Well, it wasn't a **complete** lie.

Kyle swallowed and looked down to the floorboards, almost as if being scolded. "Oh…okay." His gaze lifted. "I guess I just wanna say then that…I…thank you." He tried to not blush with awkwardness, but it was very difficult. "You really saved my life, and I never got the chance to actually say I was grateful. So, thank you, Endri, for saving me. It…it means a lot."

Endri smiled. It was a full, bright smile. And what was most amazing…it was not fake. "You're very welcome."

He bowed again, and Kyle then realized that his former partner was acting much too formal with him. It was probably because he was planning on leaving soon, and didn't want to get caught up with friendly…anything. But what was more, that knowledge hurt. It hurt to know Endri wanted nothing more to do with him than to walk in, retrieve his missing shirt, and leave.

Over the past few months, Kyle had been able to sit and think quite a bit, and he had admitted a while ago that he actually missed his stoic partner. He missed the traveling. He missed the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of exotic foods. And, someone just shoot him, he even missed Endri's voice: that pleasant deep sound lined with that Icelandic accent that he couldn't get enough of hearing. But not only that, he just plainly missed **Endri**. The man gave off some kind of welcome feeling whenever he was around. But that feeling was subtle and easily looked over, and Kyle had not noticed it for the longest time. But while he and his former partner were trapped in a small tent together in some nameless Canadian forest, that feeling slowly became more and more known until it was all Kyle noticed when Endri came close. It was the reason he smiled when the blonde sat beside him and talked to him to pass the time. It was the reason he shed tears on the hospital bed when Endri said his goodbyes. It was the reason he missed him, felt anger toward him for leaving, and felt lonely even in the company of his hometown friend. Before, he thought he felt lonely in the blonde's presence, but after some long, deep thought, Kyle realized he just might have been wrong.

A hand waved gently before his gaze, and he blinked and looked at the owner.

"Are you all right?"

Kyle frowned a little in confusion. "Huh? Y-Yeah, why?"

"You seemed to be in a world all your own there for a while." Endri chuckled. "I almost swore I saw 'For Rent' signs in your eyes."

Unexpectedly, Kyle burst into laughter, closing his eyes and reaching up to cup a hand behind his head. "Wow, good one! Ha-ha! I never thought I'd hear **you** crack a joke." He opened his eyes and smiled broadly. "I think it might be something I'd like to get used to."

Endri shrugged and fidgeted with his coat. He seemed to not know what to do after being complimented. Wait a minute.… He looked over at his former partner. "What do you mean by—"

"Let's just cut the crap, Endri. I hate being subtle."

The ghost swallowed.

"Fact is…I…I'm sorry." Kyle exhaled a deep breath he had taken and released tension that had drawn his muscles tight for months on end. "There, I said it. I'm sorry for being such an ass to you, Endri. You did make me mad, but I had no right to say most of the things I did to you. I said I felt lonely even when you're next to me…but that's a lie. You actually make me feel like…like I need no one else. That you're all I need." He chuckled nervously. "Don't take that the wrong way, though."

Endri just nodded. His features seemed to have frozen in some form of amazement, but it was difficult to tell with him wearing those dark glasses.

Kyle smiled with genuine warmth. "I…I said I tried over and over to be a friend to you and help you to open up. But I think I just didn't try hard enough."

"No."

He closed his mouth in surprise, wondering what the blonde was refusing.

"Don't stand there and tell me you didn't try hard enough or you didn't work hard enough or you didn't think hard enough. It's a load of bull, and you know it. You tried your very best to be a friend to me and to help me to not be so emotionless all the time. You were just trying to be a good friend. You did absolutely nothing wrong. It was me, Kyle. You said a lot of hateful things to me, but they were all **true**." He looked down, his shoulders slumping. "And that's what made it so painful to hear. Because I knew you were telling the truth. I knew I had done all of those things, if not more, but I didn't do anything to stop. I was hurting you and I…I didn't care." Dark shades met blue eyes once more. "But I'm honestly glad things happened the way they did. I'm a believer in that everything happens for a reason, and I believe that we had to have that fight. If we didn't, we would still be where we were, and nothing would have been accomplished."

Kyle swallowed. What could he possibly say after that? His mind didn't know, but his lips sure as hell did. "Endri…all I ever wanted…all I ever needed…was for you to be my friend…someone I could talk to…s-someone who would put their arm over my shoulders and tell me everything would be all right again."

Endri stepped right up to him, staring down the two inch difference in their height at blue eyes that always reminded him of slightly cloudy, but always bright, summer skies. "Then I hope you won't think me too forward." He lifted his arms and curled them around Kyle's shoulders, being extra careful with his injury.

Kyle blinked and tried to stare at the front door over his old partner's shoulder, but strands of blonde hindered his sight. They tickled his nose, but not so much that it was a bother, and he found that they were actually very soft. The scent of spice and fire drifted into his nostrils, and he found himself breathing in deeper to smell more of it. The smooth fabric of Endri's coat was pleasantly soft against his bare chest, and the shirt still clutched in the blonde's hand dangled down his back, its well-worn softness brushing lightly against his skin there. A subtle, not intense, warmth rose against him, and it was at that moment when Kyle realized.

For the first time in years, Endri was hugging him for the sake of hugging him…not just to calm him.

His breath caught in his throat, and he suddenly couldn't breathe. He didn't fight against the oppressing feeling, however. He just allowed himself to float through it, letting his arms become weightless to drift upward and find purchase somewhere around the blonde's broad back. A muffled voice drifted to his ear, then. It came from somewhere near his shoulder, where he could feel a lightly warm breath slipping over his skin.

"_This…feels nice,_" Endri mumbled absently, as if it was the first hug he ever partook in, and just then realized the kind gesture wasn't so bad at all.

"_Yeah…yeah it does,_" Kyle answered, not realizing his breath had returned.

"Is your shoulder better? Does it still hurt?"

"A little. Just had the stitches out a little bit ago…still tender an' all…ya know."

He lightly ran a finger over the back of Kyle's shoulder, over the bandage that was not made of his cotton shirt and was not bloodstained. "I…don't know if I miss licking your damn, bloody wound or not." He shook a few times with a silent chuckle.

Kyle smirked, staring through locks of blonde but not looking at anything. He just allowed his eyes to defocus and couldn't help noticing the similarities the view had to sunbeams shining down through breaks in storm clouds. "It really hurt the first few days…but after that, it wasn't so bad. You actually made it feel a little better."

"I'm glad."

They passed some time silently, then. Taking in the sounds, textures, and sights neither had the privilege to often, if at all. The last time they truly embraced was over two years ago—such a long time where the need for closeness was concerned. Every once in a while, you just needed a good hug. Kyle, as it was, had been starving for some closeness, but now he was finally getting a full course meal and memorizing every second of it. It was just as Endri had said: it felt nice.

"Endri?"

"Hm?"

"Are…are you really here? Or did I fall asleep watching TV again?" He felt a breath of air puff out over his shoulder, most likely a laugh.

"You aren't dreaming."

"That's nice to know. Now I won't have to get all pissed off if I woke up and all this progress was just one of my silly fancies again."

Endri smiled and squeezed a little tighter. "You imagine us hugging often?"

Kyle chuckled and play-punched the back of the ghost's shoulder. "No…I just imagine you not being so…unemotional. I want so bad for you to open up and trust me. I want us to be friends." He pulled away from one of the longest hugs he ever received from his partner. He stared over at him, griping his muscled shoulders in long, slender fingers. "I want us to be **best** friends, Endri. I want us to go back to everything we had before, but this time, I don't just want to be partners…I want to be best friends." If his blue eyes could go a little wider or shimmer with just a tiny bit more gloss than they were right then, puppies all over the world would have been green with envy.

Endri swallowed at the sight and repressed the urge to reach up and pet the man's white hair. "I…I would be so very honored…but…"

Kyle held his breath.

"But I'll need your help. Please show me, Kyle…how to be a good friend?" he asked, tilting his head just a little to the side, blonde brows rising above the rims of his shades.

At that moment, Kyle owned the biggest grin on the planet, and, without shame, tears of pure joy rose into his summer sky eyes, and they rained down over his cheeks.

Endri quietly gasped and reached a quick hand up, but halted, unsure if he should touch what had always seemed forbidden to him. It wasn't often that Kyle cried, despite being emotionally sensitive, but when he did, the blonde felt he had to do something to make things right again.

"I-I'd love to, Endri. But friendship isn't something that can be taught. You…you have to feel your way through it. But please don't let that…stop you from trying." His lower lip trembled, and his face flushed light red with the strain to keep himself somewhat composed.

Nodding lightly, the blonde said, "I'll do my best, then. I'll be the best friend you've ever had, Kyle, I swear it!" His fists clenched and lifted toward his chest in a determined motion, ready to take on the new challenge.

Kyle closed his eyes and tilted his head forward, his shoulders shaking. How he had dreamed of hearing something like that come from Endri's lips! He suddenly went from having no one and nothing, to having someone and everything. The tears refused to be kept at bay, and more escaped his closed lids. But he had never felt so happy!

He heard his friend mumble something that sounded like, "_…have to feel my way through it…_" and then a light touch connected with his cheek. A large but slender thumb swiped through the tears there, wiping them away, and Kyle opened his eyes to look up at dark shades. He smiled, full and bright, feeling his heart swell and thud against his ribcage in elation. Yes! He had won! Endri was opening up! He was being kind, gentle, and comforting! He was being all Kyle had ever wanted him to be, and the man felt like he was riding the highest cloud in heaven.

"'Dri!" he cried, falling against his friend and clinging to him like a lifeline. "Thank you! Thank you, Endri, thank you! You're so awesome! Wow, you're so awesome!" He hugged and squeezed and cried and stroked long hair and even kissed a pale cheek in his excitement, then cried some more.

His enthusiasm was contagious, and Endri found himself laughing and hugging and squeezing back just as much. He felt a wave of wonderful feelings washing over him from inside and out. He suddenly felt free, like something had been caged inside of him for the longest time, and now it was set loose to run free and wild. It felt so good, he swore he had to be alive!

"Ahh…uh…K-Kyle…" he stuttered suddenly, tightening his arms around his friend.

Kyle backed away, worried at the frightened tone in the man's voice. He looked up and his mouth opened to gasp, but drew no air into his lungs.

Endri stood there, frozen in place but shaking a little. On the side of his right cheek glittered one, single tear.

Moved, Kyle reached up and brushed the droplet away. "Oh…Endri… Come'ere." He gently drew his friend back into the circle of his arms and held him there securely, listening as the blonde's breaths became more and more labored until they hitched. Large droplets of water splashed against his shoulder and trickled down over his chest or back, whichever way they happened to decide to travel.

In an overwhelming sense of closeness, Endri buried his face into Kyle's shoulder and stayed there, crying silently save for his choking breaths. He hugged tight, then tighter—he wasn't letting go without a fight. His friend's skin began to whiten under his finger's grip, but he wouldn't ease up. He had only, truly, felt that way once before, but it had been over hundreds of years and several personality changes ago. It was over some girl he chance fell in love with, though it all ended in heartbreak. But even though he didn't quite love Kyle the same way, he still felt that desperate need to be close, to protect, and to care for him. After all, it wasn't often he found something that special.

Endri's chest swelled with emotion as he moved his head, accidentally knocking his shades off, but not caring as he could now rest his face to his friend's shoulder without obstruction. The warmth and softness of skin was welcome to the burn in his eyes.

All the while, Kyle just held his quiet, trembling friend against himself, feeling no shame, wanting nothing else more in the world than what he had right then. And somewhere, out of the blue, a phrase stuck in his head. He had no idea why it came to him right then, but found it to be fairly appropriate. "_Bathed in tears…_" he whispered so very quietly, the silence barely heard him.

And more teardrops slipped down over his skin, some tickling, but most just leaving a long trail of wetness behind. And someone just shoot him now, but it felt good. They felt good because they were **Endri's** tears. They weren't a stranger's. They weren't raining down from the sky or from a shower head. They were just dripping gently, splashing against his skin and making him feel…clean. He couldn't explain that. But Endri's tears were making him feel so clean and refreshed. He felt like he had just taken the most cleansing shower on Earth right after waking from the most restful sleep he had ever had. It was like each tear was charged with…something…something powerful but gentle at the same time. Dammit, why did it feel so good to have Endri crying on him?

Then came the clatter of plastic bouncing on the floor as his partner moved closer and rummaged his face around the crook of Kyle's neck. The sudden noise startled him, but a moment later, he knew what it was…what it meant. Endri's glasses had fallen off. And although it was supposed to be some kind of victory that they were finally off the blonde's face, Kyle didn't feel any thrill, no enjoyment at all. In fact, he felt guilty for ever giving his friend a hard time about them. It only made him hug harder.

"_Ky…_" Endri whispered, digging his eyes against his partner's shoulder, "_Ég munu ævinlega vera hér í þú. Ég munu ævinlega vernda þú. Ég kæra sig um þú mjög mikill, mín dýr vinur._" It was a reverent whisper, almost like a promise.

Kyle smiled. "That sounds great, Endri.… If I knew what it meant."

The blonde shook slightly with humor. "I said…I will always be here for you.… I will always protect you.… I…care about you…so much, my dear friend.…" He swallowed.

Kyle swallowed too. "Really?"

Endri only nodded in answer.

Shaking, Kyle gripped to his once stoic friend even tighter. "Wh-Who are you? And what have you done with my partner?"

"I kicked his ass and told him to stay out of my way and away from you."

With a laugh, the white-haired man replied, "I like you! Why couldn't I have met you sooner?"

"Because I was stupid and blind."

Gently, Kyle pressed on the ghost's shoulders, getting him to lean up out of his embrace and stand on his own. He stared into the blonde's face, watching a few more tears fall from closed eyes before reaching up and wiping them away as Endri had done for him. His smile was light, almost disbelieving, and his lips were parted a little with wonder.

Now that his glasses were gone, Endri looked a lot different. There was a softness to his face that wasn't there while he wore his dark shades. He seemed less two-dimensional now—more real. But…

"Your eyes…" Nervously, Endri jerked his face away from the light touch that fell to his temple. "No, no, it's okay," Kyle reassured, resting the palm of one hand to his friend's shoulder and using the other hand to draw the man's face back around. "It's okay.… Trust me."

Still nervous, but needing to keep the peace more, Endri relaxed slightly under the touch.

Kyle very gently traced just under one blonde eyebrow, feeling the flesh that was slightly discolored from the rest of Endri's skin. It was a darker, more rich color. Something in his gut told him that the blonde wasn't a normal human being, but… Ignoring that nagging feeling as he usually did, Kyle hummed in thought.

"This from wearing the glasses all the time?"

"Ah…n…"

"This darker skin?"

"Oh…um…I-I guess so."

Nodding, Kyle took another moment or two to saver the look of his friend without glasses. Something about him, something familiar, something not…

"Could your eyes ever get better? Or fixed?" he had to ask, not for the first time, but the first time in a long while.

"I…don't know."

Kyle sighed and shook his head, smiling. "Ahh, my light-sensitive friend. So full of answers, like always."

Endri sniffed awkwardly and trained his close-eyed gaze to the floor, unable to face the feel of Kyle's eyes. He felt so foolish, always lying, always holding back. But there was still that invisible barrier between them: Kyle's hatred of ghosts. If the man were to learn the truth…there would be no coming back from that. But perhaps someday he would tell the guy everything, and hopefully…it wouldn't be so bad.

The soft scrape of plastic on wood reached his pointed ears before he felt a light touch to his temple again. That time, Endri did not pull back, but waited patiently for Kyle to place his shades back on his face. When they didn't come, he became curious and tipped his head a little to one side in silent question.

"I dunno…" he heard Kyle say, "right now, since you can't see me and all…I dunno, I just feel…fancy-free, I guess. Like…being in a dark room and talking to somebody you can't see…it makes you more…daring."

Endri swallowed and prepared himself for anything. When next he heard his partner speak, he could tell the man was facing the floor, wall, anything but him.

"I just wanted to tell you…" Kyle huffed and fought for words. "I missed you," he blurted. "You, you ran off without letting me tell you I **didn't** want you to leave. Didn't give me a chance to apologize for the way I acted an' treated you. You just took off, and it…it hurt me." He sighed. "Sorry if I'm buggin' you with this emotional stuff.…"

"No," Endri said softly, lifting a hand. He felt around until he had what he hoped was Kyle's shoulder and held on lightly. "It's all right. Say what you want, Kyle. I…I hear it's good for you." He heard his friend chuckle. "I'm sorry I left you like I did. That must have been a hard time for you, and I…hell, I ran away and left you to deal with it alone.… Just like I always did before." He grunted in disgust of his own actions. "I should have been there, should have helped you get back on your feet—"

"It's over," Kyle interjected. "I don't want either of us to worry about all that anymore. Fact is, you came back." He breathed deeply. "And I'm glad."

Endri smiled. "So am I." The hand that had been holding his friend's shoulder moved upward as Endri came forward. His fingers found white hair, carding through it like he had done a couple years ago when he had lost a very dear person. He pulled Kyle into another hug, sighing with long-denied contentment. "So am I."

Kyle sniffed and spoke into a muscular shoulder, "Just…promise you won't leave again.…"

"I promise."

"You really promise?"

"I really promise. I won't leave unless you tell me to."

"No! Not even if I tell you to! I don't want this ever happening again. You just stay right here, **even** if I get so mad I blow a gasket and yell and scream for you to get out, don't you **ever** do it."

Endri smirked. "All right, I won't."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Missed you…missed you so much…" Kyle moaned, pressing his eyes into the blonde's shoulder, a reverse picture of a few minutes ago.

Endri's smirk turned into a soft smile. "Missed you too."

"That's it. We **have** to be partners from now on. We can **not** **ever** be apart again."

"We will be. We're both on the same team, Kyle, and we work too well together for any other situation to be acceptable."

"I…I was falling apart again…without y—"

"Shhh…doesn't need said… It doesn't need to be said."

A soft silence fell, interrupted only when Kyle's breaths hitched, looking for normalcy.

"'Dri…" he started after a reflective moment had passed, "I gotta tell ya…this is so great." He shook his head against a broad shoulder, grinning. "But we can't forget what brought us here. We can't forget why we fought the way we did."

Endri frowned, his eyes finally open now that his friend wasn't looking. "I never want to fight that way again."

"Neither do I. So why don't we agree on a few things?"

"Like what?"

Sighing, Kyle pulled away, not noticing the blonde quickly closing his eyes. "For starters…more openness…on **both** our parts."

Endri nodded, thinking just as much, but not willing to argue about it anymore. After all, Kyle was right. "I'll show you more emotion, Kyle, and give you my attention when you need it. It's the least I can do." A gentle pat touched his shoulder. "And I'll try…**try** to let you know more about myself. But I can't promise everything, and I can't promise it all at once. There are things about myself that…that I don't think you'd appreciate knowing. If you could just be a little patient with me—"

"Goes without saying, Endri," Kyle interjected.

The blonde smiled. He flinched slightly when his friend gently perched his glasses back on his nose, then took over to readjust them to be comfortable. Opening his eyes again, he took in his partner's smile and was glad to see it there. He was especially glad to know he put it there.

"So, ah…" Kyle looked down, nervously toeing at the floorboards, hands clasped behind his back, "can I ask you a question now?"

Endri smirked and lifted a blonde brow. "You may ask."

The man bit his lip. "What color are your eyes?"

Endri did his endearing little head tilt again and couldn't hide the smirk. "Green."

Kyle blinked. Just like that? The answer was given to him just like that when before it was like pulling teeth rooted to the core of the planet? "G-Green?"

"Green."

"Like…frosty green? Or ugly grass stain green? Or that weird yellow-green that some people's eyes are…what's it called…hazel? No, that's green and brown.…"

Endri chuckled. He was really getting to like having Kyle as his friend and not just a working partner. Quietly, he wiped the remaining wetness from his cheeks, then reached inside his trench coat, feeling in each of the several pockets lining both sides. Kyle frowned lightly in confusion, but said nothing, wondering just what the blonde was up to. At last, Endri struck pay dirt in, of course, the last pocket to be checked. He pulled his hand out from his coat and produced, of all things, a crayon. It was a specialty crayon, one that had glitter embedded into the wax, so when one colored with it, it would turn out sparkly. It was obvious the stick had only been used once before and not very much, seeing as how only a small portion of the tip was worn down along the side. The name of the color itself was "Emerald", and it was the most pristine, beautiful green Kyle had ever laid eyes on.

"This color," Endri said, extending the crayon for the human to either see better or take hold of.

The man did take it and lifted it to his eyes, examining closely. "Your eyes are **this** color?" he asked, almost unable to believe. The ghost nodded. "This **exact** color?" He nodded again. "Whoa…" Kyle drifted off, staring at the crayon. "Damn, man, now I wish I could really see 'em!" He laughed, handing the stick of wax back.

Endri took it, but looked a little disheartened. "Sorry…the light…"

"I know. Say, why do you carry that crayon around anyway? To show people your eye color since it'd be too much to actually show your eyes themselves?"

The blonde shrugged. "Sort of. But, you see, one time, I worked as a bodyguard for a little girl. Her parents were wealthy and were afraid someone would kidnap her to get at their money. Selfish people, really." He swallowed, and decided to stick to the topic. "She always used to draw pictures in a tablet she carried around wherever she went. Well, one night, the moon was out. It was full and huge in the sky. She insisted we go outside and walk along the grounds together." He strained to keep from blushing. "She was young and full of silly, girlish ideals." The blush escaped. "And she kept saying I was her boyfriend."

Kyle chuckled, but made sure Endri knew he wasn't making fun. "Little girls do that kind of thing when they're around attractive older men. Little boys do that with women too."

Endri nodded. "Yes, she was adamant about it too. Anyway, she held my hand as we walked until we came to a bench placed to look out over a small pond on the property. We sat there, and she pulled out her crayons and tablet and started sketching again. She drew the moon and the pond…it was quite good actually, for her age." He paused for a moment, just thinking. "Then she wanted to draw me. She never had before then. So I sat for her, and she drew me. She never liked how I wore dark glasses all the time, so she told me to remove them."

"Did you?" Kyle asked, drawn into the story and seeing what Endri was describing.

"Since it was nighttime and moonlight doesn't hurt my eyes, I took them off for her. She stared at my eyes for a while." A shy smirk played on his lips. "Then she dug through her crayon box—looking for the right color, I suppose. It was a big box, and most of them were lying loose in there, but there was one smaller box that still had all the crayons in it, unused. She opened it and pulled out this one," he said, looking down to the sparkly green wax in his hand. "She drew my eyes and colored them with this. It was really very good…for her age." He drifted off, staring at the crayon and spinning it slowly between his fingers. "She gave the picture to me. I had it stored away with my things in that cave in Norway.… But it was stolen along with everything else. I thought if I kept it there, it would be safe. That way…it…wouldn't be ruined…if I carried it with me."

Kyle got the impression something else was going on. "What happened to the little girl?"

Endri looked up and swallowed. "That same night, the estate was stormed by a good twenty men. We were still out on the grounds when I heard gunfire and screams. I picked up the girl and carried her as I ran to find some kind of shelter to hide her. But when I opened the door to the utility shed, someone else was already in there digging through things." He swallowed again. "They shot me."

Kyle's eyes widened, but he was by no means going to interrupt now.

"But that didn't really matter, because the bullet that hit me had already gone through the little girl in my arms." He swallowed again and looked down. "I didn't fall or anything; the pain wasn't so terrible. But the little girl…I…had failed to protect her. The bastard shot me a few more times until I did fall, then he just stepped over us and ran to join his group. I suppose he thought we were both dead."

Kyle shook his head in amazement. It must have been a miracle that Endri was still alive after being shot several times and left for dead. But the human just never knew that Endri was already dead. Because then, it wouldn't have been amazing at all. It just would have been sad—heartbreakingly sad.

The blonde swallowed once again, maybe to keep more tears from surfacing. "I…was able to crawl to where I dropped her. She was barely alive. I…I told her I was very sorry for failing to protect her, but she…she just smiled at me. She said I was being cute and silly." He rubbed at his forehead in nervousness with a shaking hand. "Right before she died…she…put this crayon into my hand and said I could keep it. She said she could never find anything to use that color for except me. I…guess she saw it as fitting that I have it." He took a tremulous breath. "She died then.… I had no idea what to do.… I was too injured to get up and help my employers…and…I-I had failed to protect the one I was meant to.… So, I just…crawled over her…protected her body with mine so they couldn't hurt her anymore…until the police arrived.… I was out cold by then." He shivered.

A whimper caught Endri's attention, and he looked up, seeing Kyle biting his lip and new tears glistening in his eyes. It was all hitting a little too close to home—losing a young child…like he had lost his. He knew only too well the ramifications of such a tragedy. "Y-You poor bastard.…" he choked. "I'm so sorry.… I…wish…"

The ghost smiled sadly. "I know…it's okay. Something like that couldn't have been prevented, anyway. There was no warning."

"But still," Kyle argued, "I wish I could'a been there…could'a helped in some way. You shouldn't have to shoulder such burdens on your own, 'Dri. I'm here for you now."

The sad smile turned just a little happier. "I know."

Kyle closed his eyes and smiled himself, taking a deep breath and sighing it out slowly. "Thank you for telling me that."

Endri just nodded.

Kyle looked over at him again, seeing how everything just seemed to sag on his friend. Right then, he looked so much older than he really was…at least to the man's knowledge. He looked like he could use a long rest.

"Hey, 'Dri."

He looked up at his new nickname being called.

"It's pretty late in the year.… What's today? November 8th?"

Endri nodded.

"Then why don't we take a little vacation? You and me, right here, all winter. We'll spend Christmas here, get to know each other better…the way we were supposed to from the beginning. There's plenty of food and space and time to relax. And then when spring comes, or whenever really, we can pack some stuff up again and get back to searching for the keys.… If you still wanna do that, that is. What do you say?"

He said nothing for a while, contemplating over Kyle's offer and wondering if there were any downsides to it. It reminded him of when they first met three years ago. The man had made a similar offer to let him stay in his home for as long as he liked. And Endri never regretted taking him up on that offer because it brought them to where they were now. And if that was the case…who knew where they would be in three more years? Or six? Or sixteen? The possibility of still knowing Kyle fifty years from now was very real, and that kind of offer was too good to pass up. Besides…he liked the man's house.

"In your words, my friend…why the hell not?"


End file.
